And amined by Henry Parker and Robert Gilbert, two of the bailiffs of Savannah aforesaid, touching a report that had been spread in the camp of St. Simons, in this province. To wit, that General Oglethorpe was under confinement in Charleston, which the soldiers were glad of; and that the soldiers should say, that if he should return to St. Simons he would be shot; and that if one would not shoot him, another would; and that when they had done it, they would fly to St. Augustine; all which words and report the said Henry Parker and Robert Gilbert charged these deponents with, as the authors; which charge these deponents utterly denied, and petitioned the said bailiffs that they might have liberty to go to the camp at St. Simons aforesaid, to answer to the said charge before General Oglethorpe, which was accordingly granted; and these deponents were next day sent thither, under the care of Lieutenant William Horton. these deponents further say, that some few days after, they were brought before and examined by the said General Oglethorpe, at Frederica, on the said island of St. Simons, concerning the said report; the first part of which, to wit, that General Oglethorpe was under confinement in Charleston, these deponents acknowledged themselves to have uttered, and said in vindication thereof, that so much of the said report as last mentioned, was current in the camp, and that these deponents first heard it there; and as to the other part of the said report, these deponents utterly denied to have ever so much as heard of the same, till they were charged therewith; whereupon the said General Oglethorpe examined these deponents separately. And this deponent, Andrew Neilson, for himself saith, that the said General Oglethorpe asked this deponent, if he never heard his owner, Mr. Robert Williams, spread the said report, which this deponent denying, the said General Oglethorpe then insisted that the said Robert Williams must have persuaded this deponent to have spread the said report, which this deponent again utterly denied, and said it was hard to accuse an innocent man. And this deponent, Andrew Neilson, for himself further saith, that the said General Oglethorpe, after having endeavored to induce this deponent to accuse the said Robert Williams, as the author of the said report, by several cross questions, he then told this deponent, that he, the said General Oglethorpe, had been endeavoring to plead for him, this deponent, and would put words into his mouth if he had a mind to save himself. But this deponent still denying to accuse the said Robert Williams, the said General Oglethorpe then endeavored to intimidate this deponent by several threats; and among others, told this deponent that unless he would say that the said Robert Williams had spoke or raised the aforesaid report, he, the said General Oglethorpe, would order the soldiers to be under arms, and would turn this deponent loose among them, and leave him to their mercy. And this deponent, Thomas Conn, for himself saith, that the said General Oglethorpe asked this deponent the same questions, or to the same purpose; and endeavored to persuade this deponent to accuse the said Robert Williams, as the author of the said report, by fair words and threats, in the manner as the other deponent, Andrew Neilson, hath before deposed, or by words to the very same effect and meaning. And these deponents both say, that after the said General Oglethorpe had examined them separately, they were both brought before him together, and he then again told them, that he would order the soldiers to be drawn out under arms, and would turn these deponents loose among them, and leave them to their mercy; for there was not a man among them but would die for him. And lastly, these deponents say, that the said General Oglethorpe cast several reflections on the said Robert Williams about cattle stealing; and a short time afterwards, Lieutenant William Horton advised these deponents to petition General Oglethorpe to be discharged, which they accordingly did; and soon after the said Lieutenant William Horton came and told them, that the said General Oglethorpe ordered that they should make the best of their way to Savannah; and that the said Lieutenant William Horton provided them a passage in the scoutboat; and further these deponents say not. Sworn this 20th day of May, 1739, before me. VOL. II. THOMAS CHRISTIE, Recorder. 17 ANDREW NEILSON. No. XIV. From Savannah. The deposition of John Pye, of the town of Savannah, who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, saith, that sometime in the year 1739, the honorable the trustees for establishing the colony of Georgia, sent over by Captain Thompson into this colony, twenty casks of copper half-pence, weight two hundred and thirty pounds each; in all about four hundred pounds sterling. And this deponent further saith, that he believes and is persuaded that the said sum of four hundred pounds aforesaid, was sent over into this colony for change to the inhabitants. And this deponent further saith, that sometime after, John Provoost came into Savannah with a cargo of provisions, which said provisions Mr. Thomas Jones, store-keeper to the honorable the trustees, purchased and paid down the value in copper; and that the whole quantity of goods amounted to fourteen or fifteen casks of copper, which this deponent saw delivered on board Provoost's sloop; and further this deponent saith not. Sworn before me, this 24th day of July, 1741. JOHN PYE. No. XV. From Savannah. John Scott, late of Savannah, in the province of Georgia, but now of Charleston, South Carolina, maketh oath and saith, that he went to work, and got up a house and workhouse, and was building a forge; but John West, the then bailiff, came to this deponent, and told him that he should not build a forge, that he would pull it down again, for that there should be no forge in town but his, he being by trade a blacksmith. JOHN SCOTT. Charleston, South Carolina. Sworn before me, this 30th day of April, 1740. No. XVI. From Savannah. James Oglethorpe, &c., to John Lyndall. By virtue of powers granted from his Majesty, George the Second, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., I do appoint you, John Lyndall to be tithing-man of the lower new-ward; to train and exercise the militia of the said tithings, and to keep the peace, and obey all such orders as you shall receive from the constable of the said wards, or from such other person or persons as I shall appoint to command, train and exercise the militia. And this shall continue in full force until I, or such as shall succeed to my commands, shall recall the same, and then it shall cease and determine. Given under my hand and seal at Savannah, in Georgia, the 19th day of October, 1739. JAMES OGLETHORPE. This is a true copy, examined the 26th of October, 1741, by us. Witness our hands. JOHN LYNDall. No. XVII. Andrew Grant, late of the province of Georgia, maketh oath, that he hath paid fourteen shillings and three-pence per hundred for flour, which he bought out of the trustees' storehouse in Savannah, which flour he believes cost the trustees' store-keeper no more than ten shillings per hundred, that being the common price in Carolina at that time. And further he saith, that he hath paid eight-pence per pound for New York or Rhode Island cheese, which he believes cost but five-pence per pound, or six-pence at the highest rate; and he hath likewise paid four shillings per gallon for Madeira and Vidonia wines, which cost, to the best of his knowledge, not more than three shillings per gallon, that being the high est rate given for such wines in Georgia or Carolina, a great deal being bought much cheaper. And this deponent saith further, that those extraordinary prices exacted from the people for provisions, and all other necessaries, occasioned (by the trustees' store-keepers and their agents,) many and continual complaints from the whole inhabitants, for the space of six years and upwards, that this deponent lived in that province. And this deponent saith further, that to the best of his knowledge, he never bought any provisions from the store aforesaid, but a considerable advance was made on the same, generally not less than twenty-five per cent., neither doth he remember any other that ever did. ANDREW GRANT. Sworn at the public office, the 4th of January, 1742, before E. SAWYER. No. XVIII. From Savannah. Joseph Summers, late of Savannah town, in the province of Georgia, now of Mount Pleasant, in South Carolina, planter, maketh oath, that in March, 1734, he became a freeholder in Georgia aforesaid, and continued there till February, 1738, at which time he came away, and left his property there by reason of the very unjust and bad treatment to the generality of the inhabitants and himself; that he was well acquainted with Capt. Joseph Watson, who he always thought to be a sober, honest gentleman, and no ways inclinable to lunacy; he this deponent knew that the said Watson was settled, and kept a store with John Musgrove, at Yamacraw Bluff, whereon he had made great improvements, and also that he was in possession of lands at Grantham, whereon he had built a good house and several improvements. This deponent also was in court in November, 1734, when on the trial of the said Joseph Watson, Thomas Causton (who acted as chief judge) came off the bench, to become an evidence against the said Watson, and treated him and the jury with very indecent language And this deponent well knows, and remembers, that the said Joseph Watson was kept in confinement under a strong guard for |