This morning was brought hither Joseph Dudley, one of the persons who took me off, & for apprehending whom Council have offered a reward. He is badly wounded, it is apprehended mortally. The party mentioned in my letter of yesterday, worn out with continual watching & fatigue, had dropped their pursuit, save one, whose name is John Tuttle. he went farther up the river & informed a captain Rosewell Franklin that a number of the offenders were making their escape up the river. Capt. Franklin immediately collected a party of about fourteen, and on futher information from one or two other persons, well attached to Government, that the offenders were at a certain time at Standing Stone, on their way up the river, he concluded to lie in wait for them at Wysock’s creek. The offenders advanced according to the information. But it was expected, as the creek was much swoln with rains, that they would have called to the house on the other side for a canoe; when it was intended that one of capt. Franklin’s party should go over for them, but on his return, overset the canoe; and by thus wetting all their arms & amunition, render the capture of them easy, without hazard of shedding blood, on either side. But three of the offenders, Joeseph Dudley, Nathan Abbot & Benjamin Abbot, came first to the creek and forded it. Capt. Franklin ordered them to surrender: when Dudley called out Don’t fire—yet immediately raised his rifle to his face, on which several of Capt. Franklin’s men fired, and wounded Dudley and one of the Abbots. But they all attempted to make their escape—Dudley ran four hundred yards & dropped, & while Tuttle & another pursued him, the Abbots did escape. The rest of the offenders took to the woods, doubtless with an intention to cross the creek two or three miles above its mouth. Capt. Franklin however, rode forward, intending to go as far up as Sheshequenunk, (within four miles of Tioga,) or higher, to prepare the people to watch for the coming of the offenders & to sieze them. This day a woman whose son lives with John Jenkins, informed me that he had sent down to his wife to prepare to move her family immediately to the Lakes. By the last accounts it appeared that Jenkins was engaged to survey lands in that country for the York Lessees. The enclosed memorandum shows the present situation of the party who took and kept me prisoner, according to the latest information I have received. Concerning some of these, the Justices, as well as myself, wish to receive some direction from Council & the Chief-Justice or judges of the Supreme Court.

I believe that in my former letter of the 19th or 20th instant, (I took no copy of it,) I informed Council that Daniel Earl was the first of the party who offered to turn State’s Evidence, and discover all concerned; and he & his brother Benjamin the next day sent me a message that they both would turn State’s evidence, if they could be pardoned. Benjamin was afterwards taken; and his information on oath I now enclose. The father, Joseph Earl, who had been committed, but was discharged for want of evidence against him, was entrusted with the justices passport, and a letter from me, for his son Daniel: but on hearing that Benjamin was taken, Daniel fled, & the letter & passport probably have not yet overtaken him.

The father of William Carney came down last week to enquire whether lenity could not be shown him, as he was not of the party when I was taken, & left it some time before I was released. I advised his surrendering himself, as a further reccomendation to mercy. This day he appeared and gave the information contained in the enclosed paper, which I believe is true, to the best of his knowledge. The young man I find has sustained a good character; and I had formed so favourable an opinion of him during the day he was on my guard, that I had concluded voluntarily to recommend him to mercy, after he had quitted the party, & some days before I was released, he sent a message to Esquire Smith, informing that he was ready to deliver himself up.

Noah Phelps, by his wife, has this day prayed Esq. Smith that her husband might be admitted to bail; and he would forthwith surrender himself. She said they had a family of small children to provide for—a harvest of hay and grain to get in—and none to help them: That her husband joined the party unwillingly, at the same time that Carney joined them, and under similar circumstances of false information & threats. It appeared, however, that Phelps was with the party as late as the 15th of July (the day before I was released) and that he has not sustained a clear character: therefore Esq. Smith did not think proper to show him the indulgence he gave to Carney, whom he discharged on condition of his appearing when called, to do whatever shall be directed by the Chief Justice or the Judges of the Supreme Court, several of his friends also verbally engaging for him.

Joeseph Dudley being so dangerously wounded, it is impossible for his captors to take him to Easton jail; Nevertheless I presume they will be deemed entitled to the reward as if they had delivered him there. Tuttle, in particular, has very great mereit, for his zeal & perseverence. Council will observe one name to the petition is erased: It is Tuttles. Having made the party believe that he had joined them in heart, as well as person, it was neessary for him to sign it with them. He proposed the stratagem to some well affected persons, for the purpose of discovering my place of confinement, that he might then lead a party to deliver me & sieze my keepers. he came accordingly to my retreat, but the party released me before there was an opportunity to execute the plan. He also made me tender of his service to go to the Lakes and bring off John Jenkins, before it was known that Government had offered a reward for apprehending him. And this was a principal object of this last expedition which Tuttle says he would have pursued, had not his companions given out.

In the expedition in which captain Ross was wounded, divers elderly men, fathers of families were made prisoners, and brought down to Wilkesbarre, on suspicion that they were abettors of the party who took me. Of these one Reynolds was immediately discharged for want of evidence; and Joseph Earl (who had been committed) was, for the same reason, discharged on the 19th instant. Martin Dudley, (father of Gideon & Joseph Dudley,) Joseph Kilborn (father of Timothy & Aaron Kilborn,) Nathan Abbot (father of Nathan and Benjamin Abbot,) Ephraim Tyler, and Thomas Kinney, who is named in the proclamation of Council, still remain in the jail at this place. These men have applied to the magistrates to admit them to bail: but as they have been committed on evidence which the Justices deemed sufficient to warrant the measure, their authority now to admit them to bail is doubted. As the evidence agianst them does not appear very clear, and all of them have families in distress, some of them miserably poor, perhaps the Justices may be prevailed on to bail them: Nevertheless, I am very desirous that particular directions may be speedily sent up concerning them, and all others whose cases I have particularly described. And I pray Council to take order in the matter as early as possible; and that whan any directions are to come from the Chief Justice or Judges of the Supreme Court, that they may be requested to forward them as soon as may be.

Stephen Jenkins (brother of John) has been apprehended (& is now in jail at this place) in consequence of the evidence against him in B. Earl’s deposition. Daniel Earl also told me that Stephen Jenkins was as deeply concerned in the plot as any one.

Gideon Church has not been apprehended; because good policy seemed to require that a door should be left open for repenting sinners. He went out with the three first parties to apprehend the offenders and rescue me. By the last company of volunteers he was chosen their captain, and conducted with such spirit and judgement as pleased the whole of them; and they acknowledge that if they had fallen in with his advice they should doubtless have taken nine of the offenders: whereas they took but one, B. Earl.

Old Benjamin Harvey (who lived at the lowere end of the Shawnee fiat) fled a few days after I was taken, and said (as I have heard) that some others would be obliged to follow him: yet the hint in Wm. Carney’s examination is the only evidence which has yet appeared against him. His flying, joined with his former conduct, affords a strong presumption of guilt.

Evening, 11 o’clock. This morning the jailer here applies for a rinding sheet, informing the Joseph Dudley is dead.

I am sir, with great respect, Your most obedient servant.