USA > Massachusetts > History of the early settlement of the Juniata Valley : embracing an account of the early pioneers, and the trials and privations incident to the settlement of the valley ; predatory incursions, massacres, and abductions by the Indians during the French and Indian wars, and the War of the Revolution, &c. > Part 11
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Early in June, Captain Jack offered the services of him- self and his band of hunters to government to accompany Braddock on his expedition against Fort Duquesne. His merits were explained to Braddock by George Crogan, who said, " They are well armed, and are equally regard- less of heat or cold. They require no shelter for the night, and ask no pay." This generous offer on the part of Cap- tain Jack was not accepted by Braddock, because, as he alleged, "the proffered services were coupled with certain stipulations to which he could not consent." What these stipulations were was not mentioned. It is presumed, however, that Captain Jack wished his company to go as a volunteer force, free from the restraints of a camp life which a rigid disciplinarian like Braddock would be likely to adopt. Braddock had already accepted the services of
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a company of Indians under George Crogan, and, as he wished to gain laurels for himself and his troops by achiev- ing a victory over the French and Indians by open Euro- pean fighting, his own selfishness probably prompted him to refuse the assistance of any more who adopted the skulking Indian mode of warfare. He did not live, how- ever, to discover his error. Hazzard, in his Pennsylvania Register, in speaking of the non-acceptance of Captain Jack's offer, says, "It was a great misfortune for Braddock that he neglected to secure the services of such an auxi- liary." Very true; for such men as Jack's Hunters would never have suffered themselves to be fired upon by an am- buscaded enemy or an enemy hid away in a ravine. They would not have marched over the hill with drums beating and colors flying, in pride and pomp, as if enjoying a victory not yet won; but they would have had their scouts out, the enemy and his position known, and the battle fought without any advantages on either side; and in such an event it is more than probable that victory would have crowned the expedition.
Of the final end of Captain Jack we have nothing definite. One account says he went to the West; another that he died an old man in 1772, having lived the life of a hermit after the end of the war of 1763. It is said that his bones rest near the spring, at the base of the mountain bearing his name; and this we are inclined to believe. The early settlers of the neighborhood believed that Cap- tain Jack came down from the mountain every night at twelve o'clock to slake his thirst at his favorite spring; and half a century ago we might readily have produced the affidavits of twenty respectable men who had seen the
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Black Hunter in the spirit roaming over the land that was his in the flesh. The present generation, however, knows little about the wild hunter. Still, though he sleeps the sleep that knows no waking, and no human being who ever saw him is above the sod now, the towering moun- tain, a hundred miles in length, bearing his name, will stand as an indestructable monument to his memory until time shall be no more.
George Crogan figured extensively about Aughwick for many years, both before and after Fort Shirley was built. He was an Irishman by birth, and came to the colony probably as early as 1742, and soon after took up the business of an Indian trader. At first he located at Harris's trading-house, on the Susquehanna, and from thence moved over the river into Cumberland county, some eight miles from his first place of abode. From there he made excursions to Path Valley and Aughwick, and finally to the Ohio River by way of the old Bedford trail. His long residence among the Indians not only enabled him to study Indian character thoroughly, but he acquired the language of both the Delaware and Shawnee tribes, and was of great use to the proprietary government; but we incline to the opinion that his services were illy requited.
His first letter, published in the Colonial Records, is dated "May ye 26th, 1747," and is directed to Richard Peters. It was accompanied by a letter from the Six Nations, some wampum, and a French scalp, taken some- where on Lake Erie.
In a letter from Governor Hamilton to Governor Hardy, dated 5th July, 1756, in speaking of Crogan, who was at one time suspected of being a spy in the pay of the
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French, Hamilton says :- "There were many Indian traders with Braddock-Crogan among others, who acted as a captain of the Indians under a warrant from General Braddock, and I never heard of any objections to his con- duct in that capacity. For many years he had been very largely concerned in the Ohio trade, was upon that river frequently, and had a considerable influence among the Indians, speaking the language of several nations, and being very liberal, or rather profuse, in his gifts to them, which, with the losses he sustained by the French, who seized great quantities of his goods, and by not getting the debts due to him from the Indians, he became bankrupt, and since has lived at a place called Aughwick, in the back parts of this province, where he generally had a number of Indians with him, for the maintenance of whom the province allowed him sums of money from time to time, but not to his satisfaction. After this he went, by my order, with these Indians, and joined General Braddock, who gave the warrant I have men- tioned. Since Braddock's defeat, he returned to Augh- wick, where he remained till an act of assembly was passed here granting him a freedom from arrest for ten years. This was done that the province might have the benefit of his knowledge of the woods and his in- fluence among the Indians; and immediately thereupon, while I was last at York, a captain's commission was given to him, and he was ordered to raise men for the defence of the western frontier, which he did in a very expeditious manner, but not so frugally as the com- missioners for disposing of the public money thought he might have done. He continued in the command of one
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of the companies he had raised, and of Fort Shirley, on the western frontier, about three months; during which time he sent, by my direction, Indian messengers to the Ohio for intelligence, but never produced me any that was very material; and, having a dispute with the commissioners about some accounts between them, in which he thought himself ill-used, he resigned his commission, and about a month ago informed me that he had not received pay upon General Braddock's warrant, and desired my recom- mendation to General Shirley; which I gave him, and he set off directly for Albany; and I hear he is now at Onondago with Sir William Johnston."
Crogan settled permanently in Aughwick in 1754, and built a stockade fort, and must have been some kind of an agent among the Indians, disbursing presents to them for the government. In December of that year he wrote to Secretary Peters, stating the wants of his Indians, and at the same time wrote to Governor Morris as follows :-
"May it please your honor :-
"I am Obliga to advertize the Inhabitance of Cumberland county in yr honour's Name, nott to barter or Sell Spiretus Liquers to the Indians or any person to bring amongst them, to prevent ye Indians from Spending there Cloase, tho' I am obliga to give them a kag Now and then my self for a frolick, but that is Atended with no Expence to ye Government, nor no bad consequences to ye Indians as I do itt butt onst a Month. I hope your honour will approve of this Proceeding, as I have Don itt to Prevent ill consequences atending ye Indians if they should be Kept always Infleamd with Liquors."
In September, 1754, notwithstanding the precautions taken by the government to conciliate the Indians by pro- fuse presents, and immediately after Conrad Weiser, the
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Indian interpreter, and Crogan, had held a conference at Aughwick, which it was supposed had terminated satis- factorily to all parties concerned, an Indian, named Is- rael, of the Six Nations, after leaving the conference, perpetrated a brutal murder in Tuscarora Valley. The following is Crogan's report of it to government :-
Aughwick, September 17, 1754.
May it please Your Honor :-
Since Mr. Weiser left this, an Indian of the Six Nations, named Israel, killed one Joseph Cample, an Indian trader, at the house of one Anthony Thompson, at the foot of the Tuscarora Valley, near Parnall's Knob. As soon as I heard it I went down to Thompson's, and took several of the chiefs of the Indians with me, when I met William Maxwell, Esq. The Indian made his escape before I got there. I took the qualification of the persons who were present at the murder, and delivered them to Mr. Max- well, to be sent to your honor, with the speech made by the chiefs of the Indians on that occasion, which I suppose your honor has received.
I have heard many accounts from Ohio since Mr. Weiser left this, all of which agree that the French have received a reinforce- ment of men and provision from Canada to the fort. An Indian returned yesterday to this place whom I had sent to the fort for intelligence; he confirms the above accounts, and further says there were about sixty French Indians had come while he stayed there, and that they expected better than two hundred more every day. He says that the French design to send those Indians with some French, in several parties, to annoy the back settlements, which the French say will put a stop to any English forces march- ing out this fall to attack them. This Indian likewise says that the French will do their endeavor to have the half-king Scar- rayooday, Captain Montour, and myself, killed this fall. This In- dian, I think, is to be believed, if there can be any credit given to what an Indian says. He presses me strongly to leave this place, and not live in any of the back parts. The scheme of sending several parties to annoy the back settlements seems so much like French policy that I can't help thinking it true.
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I hear from Colonel Innes that there certainly have been some French Indians at the camp at Wills's Creek, who fired on the sentry in the dead of the night. If the French prosecute this scheme, I don't know what will become of the back parts of Cum- berland county, which is much exposed. The back parts of Vir- ginia and Maryland are covered by the English camp, so that most of the inhabitants are safe.
I would have written to your honor before now on this head; I only waited the return of this Indian messenger, whose account I really think is to be depended on. The Indians here seem very uneasy at their long stay, as they have heard nothing from the Governor of Virginia nor of your honor since Mr. Weiser went away; nor do they see the English making any preparations to attack the French, which seems to give them a great deal of con- cern. I believe several of the Indians will soon go to the Six Nation country, and then, I suppose, the rest will be obliged to fall in with the French. If this happens, then all the back, settle- ments will be left to the mercy of an outrageous enemy.
I beg your honor's pardon for mentioning the consequences which must certainly attend the slow motion of the English go- vernment, as they are well known to your honor, and I am sen- sible your honor had done all in your power for the security of those parts. I hope as soon as his honor, Governor Morris, is arrived, I shall hear what is to be done with those Indians. I assure your honor it will not be in my power to keep them together much longer.
I am your honor's most humble and most obedient servant,
GEO. CROGAN.
The Indian Israel was arrested, taken to Philadelphia, and tried, but, in consequence of the critical situation of affairs, the French having tampered with the Six Nations until they were wavering, he was let off, returned to his tribe, and the matter smoothed over as best it could under the circumstances.
The number of Indians under Crogan at Braddock's defeat was thirty; but what part they performed on that
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eventful day was not recorded. That Crogan and his Indians were of some service would appear from the fact that the Assembly passed a law exempting him from arrests-for debt, it is supposed -for ten years, and commissioning him a captain in the colonial service.
The supposition that Crogan was a spy in the pay of the French was based upon the idea that he was a Roman Catholic, inasmuch as he was born in Dublin. His loyalty was first brought into question by Governor Sharpe, in December, 1753, who wrote to Governor Hamilton, informing him that the French knew every move for defence made in the colonies, and asked his opinion of Crogan. In answer, Governor Hamilton said :-
I observe what you say of Mr. Crogan; and, though the several matters of which you have received information carry in them a good deal of suspicion, and it may be highly necessary to keep a watchful eye upon him, yet I hope they will not turn out to be any thing very material, or that will effect his faithfulness to the trust reposed in him, which, at this time, is of great importance and a very considerable one. At present I have no one to inquire of as to the truth of the particulars mentioned in yours but Mr. Peters, who assures me that Mr. Crogan has never been deemed a Roman Catholic, nor does he believe that he is one, though he knows not his education, which was in Dublin, nor his religious profession.
Whatever Mr. Crogan's religious faith may have been, he paid much less attention to it than he did to Indian affairs; and that he was deeply devoted to the proprietary government is evident from his subsequent career. To keep the Indians loyal, he advanced many presents to them, as appears by Governor Morris's letter to Governor Hardy, for which he never was reimbursed; and the com-
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pany of Indians he commanded was fitted out at his own expense ; and it was the attempt to get what he advanced on that occasion that led to his quarrel with the com- missioners and his resignation.
From Philadelphia he went to Onondago, in September, 1756, and soon after was appointed deputy-agent of Indian affairs by Sir William Johnston. On his arrival in Phila- delphia, his appointment was announced to the council by Governor Denny.
"The council, knowing Mr. Crogan's circumstances, was not a little surprised at the appointment, and desired to see his credentials;" which he produced, and again took an active part in Indian affairs.
After the French had evacuated Fort Duquesne, in 1758, Crogan resided for a time in Fort Pitt. From there he went down the river, was taken prisoner by the French, and taken to Detroit. From thence he re- turned to New York, where he died in 1782.
On the 6th of October, 1754, the reigning chief of Aughwick, called Tanacharrisan, or Half-King, died at Paxton. In communicating his death to the governor, John Harris said :-
Those Indians that are here blame the French for his death, by bewitching him, as they had a conjurer to inquire into the cause a few days before he died; and it is his opinion, together with his relations, that the French have been the cause of their great man's death, by reason of his striking them lately; for which they seem to threaten immediate revenge, and desire me to let it be known.
The loss of the Half-King must have been a severe affliction to his tribe, for it appears by a letter of Cro-
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gan's that he was compelled to "wipe away their tears to the amount of thirty pounds fourteen shillings :"
Scarroyady* succeeded the Half-King in the adminis- tration of affairs at Aughwick. He was a brave and powerful chief, and possessed the most unbounded in- fluence among the Indians. Governor Morris, in a speech, previously approved by council, made to Scar- royady and some Indians accompanying him, said :-
" Brethren :- For the encouragement of you and all who will join you in the destruction of our enemies, I propose to give the following bounties or rewards, viz. : for every male Indian prisoner above twelve years old that shall be delivered at any of the govern- ment's forts or towns, one hundred and fifty dollars.
"For every female Indian prisoner or male prisoner of twelve years old and under, delivered as above, one hundred and thirty dollars.
"For the scalp of every male Indian of above twelve years old, one hundred and thirty dollars.
"For the scalp of every Indian woman, fifty dollars."
Let this fixed price for scalps not stand upon the pages of history as a stigma against the peaceable and non- resistant Quakers of the province; for, at the time these bounties were offered, John and Thomas Penn had abjured the habits, customs, and religion of that people.
Fort Shirley was built in Aughwick Valley in the fall of 1755, and the winter following Crogan resigned his commission, after which the command was given to Cap- tain Hugh Mercer.
* As the Indians could not pronounce the letter r, it is probable that the names having such letters in were bestowed by the whites, or corrupted by them.
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Tradition says that one or two very serious battles were fought in Aughwick, after Fort Shirley was erected; but the accounts of them are so vague that we can give no- thing like reliable information touching them.
In January, 1756, two Indians named Lackin, brothers, who professed to be friendly, came to what was then still called Crogan's Fort. The commander of the fort made them some few trifling presents, and plied them well with rum, when they promised to bring in a large number of prisoners and scalps. On leaving the fort, they fell in with a soldier, whom they invited to accompany them a short distance and they would give him some rum. To this the soldier assented, and, after getting out of sight of the fort, one of them suddenly turned and stabbed the soldier in the side with a scalping-knife. A man passing at the time of the occurrence immediately alarmed the garrison, and a posse of thirteen men sallied out; but when they came up near the Indians the latter suddenly turned and fired upon the soldiers, wounding one of them in the thigh. The savages were then surrounded, and one of them shot; the other they attempted to take to the fort alive, but he acted so outrageously that one of the soldiers beat his brains out with the stock of his musket. The Lackins were rather worthless fellows, and it required no wampum, or even coin, to dry up the tears of their friends.
Fort Shirley was abandoned for a while after the burn- ing of Fort Granville, by order of Governor Morris, but the importance of the point prevented it from standing idle long. We hear of some few murders committed near the Three Springs of the valley at a later day, but no attack
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was made in the neighborhood during the second Indian war, as the entire valley was well protected by the friendly Indians of the Six Nations.
The Delawares and Shawnees, or at least a great por- tion of them, left the valley in 1754-55-56, and before 1761 all had disappeared. But to the friendly Indian the beau- tiful Aughwick was a favorite haunt until the Anglo- Saxon fairly ploughed and harrowed him out of his home and his hunting-grounds. The last of the Six Nations left Aughwick for Cattaraugus in 1771.
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CHAPTER XII.
RAYSTOWN BRANCH-EARLY SETTLEMENT OF RAYSTOWN-GENERAL FORBES'S EXPEDITION-COLONELS WASHINGTON AND BOQUET-COLO- NEL ARMSTRONG'S LETTER-SMITH AND HIS BLACK BOYS-BLOODY RUN-ROBBERY-INDIAN MASSACRES-REVOLUTIONARY LIEUTENANTS OF BEDFORD COUNTY, ETC.
THE earliest settlement on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata was made by a man named Ray, in 1751, who built three cabins near where Bedford now stands. In 1755 the province agreed to open a wagon-road from Fort Louden, in Cumberland county, to the forks of the Youghiogheny River. For this purpose three hundred men were sent up, but for some cause or other the project was abandoned.
This road was completed in 1758, when the allied forces of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania marched against Fort Duquesne, under General John Forbes. About the same year the fort was built at Raystown, and called Fort Bedford. Colonels Boquet and Washington first marched to Bedford with the advance, and were followed by General Forbes, who had been detained by illness at Car- lisle. The successful troops that put to rout the French without striking a blow, amounting to 7850 men, were
11
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reviewed, where Bedford now stands, a little over ninety- seven years ago. Of the triumphant march and the blood- less victory of General Forbes and Colonels Boquet and Washington there is little use in speaking here, more than incidentally mentioning that, profiting by the dear- bought experience at Braddock's defeat, the suggestion of Washington to fight the savages after their own manner was adopted, and, after defeating them in several skir- mishes, the Indians fled before them like chaff before the wind, and when they reached Fort Duquesne the name and the fort alone remained. The latter was preserved, but the former was speedily changed to Fort Pitt.
Colonel Armstrong, whose name has already frequently appeared, served as a captain in the expedition under General Forbes against Fort Duquesne. It may also be as well to remember that Colonel Washington, as well as the Virginians generally, jealous of the Pennsyl- vanians gaining a footing in the Monongahela country, vio- lently opposed the cutting of the road from Raystown to the mouth of the Yough, and urged strongly upon Forbes the propriety of using the old Braddock trail. The de- cision of General Forbes procured for the people of Penn- sylvania a wagon-road over the Alleghany at least twenty years before the inhabitants would have entertained the idea of so formidable an undertaking. Armstrong wrote to Richard Peters, under date of " Raystown, October 3, 1758," from whose letter we extract the following :-
Since our Quixotic expedition you will, no doubt, be greatly perplexed about our fate. God knows what it may be; but, I assure you, the better part of the troops are not at all dismayed. The general came here at a critical and seasonable juncture ; he is
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weak, but his spirit is good and his head clear, firmly determined to proceed as far as force and provisions will admit, which, through divine favor, will be far enough. The road to be opened from our advanced post is not yet fully determined, and must be further reconnoitered : 'tis yet a query whether the artillery will be car- ried forward with the army when within fifteen or twenty miles of the fort or not. The order of march and line of battle is under con- sideration, and there are many different opinions respecting it. Upon this the general will have a conference with the commanders of the sundry corps. About four thousand five hundred are yet fit for duty, five or six hundred of which may be laid to the account of keeping of different posts, sickness, accidents, &c. We know not the number of the enemy, but they are greatly magnified, by report of sundry of the people with Major Grant, to what we formerly ex- pected. The Virginians are much chagrined at the opening of the road through this government, and Colonel Washington has been a good deal sanguine and obstinate upon the occasion; but the presence of the general has been of great use on this as well as other accounts. We hear that three hundred wagons are on the road. If this month happens to be dry weather, it will be greatly in our favor. My people are in general healthy, and are to be collected together immediately, except such as are posted on the communication and in the artillery. Many of them will be naked by the end of the campaign, but I dare not enter upon clothing them, not knowing who or how many of the troops may be con- tinued. Colonel B- -t is a very sensible and useful man; not- withstanding, had not the general come up, the consequences would have been dangerous. Please to make my compliments to Mr. Allen, and, if you please, show him this letter, as I have not a moment longer to write. About the last of this month will be the critical hour. Every thing is vastly dear with us, and the money goes like old boots. The enemy are beginning to kill and carry of horses, and every now and then scalp a wandering person.
I leave this place to-day, as does Colonel Boquet and some pieces of the artillery.
In 1763, Fort Bedford was the principal depot for military stores between Carlisle and Fort Pitt. In order to strengthen it, the command was given to Captain
)
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Ourry, and the small stockades at the Juniata Crossing and Stony Creek were abandoned and the force concen- trated at Bedford. By this means two volunteer com- panies were formed to guard the fort, which, besides being a refuge for the distressed families for ten or fifteen miles around, contained vast quantities of ammunition and other government stores.
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