USA > New York > The Pennsylvania and New York frontier : history of from 1720 to the close of the Revolution > Part 12
USA > Pennsylvania > The Pennsylvania and New York frontier : history of from 1720 to the close of the Revolution > Part 12
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besieged, and more than three hundred of the garrison had been killed. Continued resistance was foolhardy, and on the morning of the 9th, it was determined to capitulate, and Lieutenant Colonel Young, under the pro- tection of a white flag, made his way to Montcalm.
The terms were that the garrison should surrender, with the honors of war, and should be marched to Fort Edward under a guard of French soldiers. They should not serve, again, for eighteen months, and all French prisoners should be given up. The munitions and stores were to be turned over to the victors. The conditions were liberal and honorable, but the massacre which followed has forever sullied the fair name of France.
The surrendered soldiers and the many women and children were marched to the entrenched camp. They had hardly gone from the fort, when the savages poured over the ruined ramparts, entered the hospital and butchered the sick in their beds. One fiend ran out, where French officers were standing, and danced among them in great glee, holding, in his hand, a severed head, dripping streams of blood. The Indians came to the entrenched camp, insulted and maltreated those gathered there. They toyed with the women's hair and measured the prices their scalps would bring at Montreal. They stripped the soldiers of their clothes. Those who resisted were dragged out murdered and scalped. The Canadian officers and interpreters offered no protests ; and Bougainville, in his journal, sug- gests that some of those, associated with the Indians, contemplated some- thing worse, implying rape of the women. Montcalm, Levis, Bourlamaque, Bougainville and other regular officers rushed to the scene and, by personal entreaties, endeavored to quell the tumult. They demanded, bribed, implored and beseeched the savages to desist, and, about 9 o'clock in the evening, succeeded in restoring order.
By the terms of surrender, the English had placed themselves under Montcalm's protection ; and he had assured their safety, by promising a strong guard for their escort to Fort Edward. It was clearly, his duty and by the promptings of humanity, he should have, at the first outreak, placed, a strong guard of French regulars, around the prisoners. He well knew, the savages would be infuriated, at the sight of blood, and that nothing but force would restrain them. He, probably, feared restraint would estrange them and cause their desertion. Thus from cowardice and lack of humanity, he stained the fair name he bore.
During the night, the Indians prowled about the camp and terrorized the despairing prisoners. At daybreak, the butchery began. Seventeen Massachusetts soldiers lay sick in tents, under the care of a French surgeon. The guard, around them, perhaps purposely, had been withdrawn and the savages pounced upon them and murdered them to a man. The English formed their line of march and started for Fort Edward. The rum barrels had been staved in, but the Indians seized the canteens of the English soldiers and filled their gullets with liquor. Further enraged by this intoxica- tion, they surrounded and impeded the march. They demanded the soldier's baggage, and those, who resisted, were killed. Soon the warwhoop sounded through the woods and the frightful massacre began.
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The Canadian officers, to whom, the prisoners appealed for protection, shrugged their shoulders, and told them to save themselves, as best they could. The line dissolved in a confused mass of fugitives, who broke for the woods, only to be shot down or captured. Some managed to elude the fiends and hide in the brush. Colonel Frye was stripped of everything except his breeches, but knocked down or killed the Indian who seized him and escaped. Jonathan Carver, the future famous traveler, had a hair- breadth experience, but saved himself. Day and night, the guns boomed at Fort Edward, serving to guide the fugitives there. How many were killed will never be known. More than six hundred were captured by the Indians; and four hundred of these Montcalm succeeded in reclaiming from the savages. They, with those, who had sought refuge among the French soldiers in the fort, were placed in the entrenched camp and fed. On August 15th, under a strong guard of French regular troops, they were escorted to Fort Edward.
Fort William Henry was destroyed and the timbers of the demolished buildings were gathered in a great pile, upon which were cast the bodies of the slain English. This ghastly funeral pyre was fired, and the ascending flames cast demoniacal shadows on the forest, and the stench of the burn- ing bodies stifled the atmosphere.1
About November 1st, the Oneidas learned of an intended invasion of German Flats, and they warned the incredulous inhabitants but their warning was spurned.2 Early in the morning of November 12th, three hundred Canadians and Indians fell upon them and captured five little forts, probably, palisaded farm houses. One hundred and forty of the inhabitants were captured and forty were killed. Governor De Lancey estimated the loss of horses and cattle, buildings and grain at £30,000; and the raid caused consternation among the people, down the Mohawk and a panic at Schenectady.3
The situation in Pennsylvania, in the early part of 1757, was critical, the frontier was inadequately defended and the soldiers were unpaid. The assembly passed a bill for the emission of £100,000 in bills of credit, redeemable in four years, and exempting the proprietary estates from taxa- tion. The governor rejected it, because the time of payment was too long and the large amount would cause inflation, thereby distressing the invest- ments of widows and orphans. The assembly replied charging the rejection was not due to the distress of widows and orphans, but because of the effect on the rate of exchange, which would cause the proprietors loss in transmission of their funds to London ; and because it taxed, the proprietors and others, located lands, which were unimproved. It also charged the veto was, mainly, inspired by office holders and proprietary favorites, who held large tracts of located and unimproved land. The assembly was now on firm ground. Realizing the weakness of his position, the governor sub- mitted the matter to Lord Loudon, who, in view of the seriousness of the frontier situation, advised him to approve it, which he did.4
The casualties on the frontier still continued, and a list of the mel- ancholy murders is contained in note 5.
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The negotiations, of Sir William Johnson through the Six Nations, with the eastern Delawares, had brought about an agreement to terminate hostilities ; but it is to be observed, that some of the worst murders were committed as far east as Northampton county, which must have been done, with the cognizance and connivance of the eastern Delawares. The real reason, of the Indian attitude, was the ineptitude of British management and its failure to wage successful aggression against the French.6 Another pacificatory complication was the interference of the Friendly Association of Quakers. The Quakers may have intended good, but their spleen against the proprietaries is manifest, and as usual, when do-gooders interfere in the policy of government, more harm than good is done.7
During the conference, with the Indians, on May 18th, the bodies of four persons, who had been killed by the Indians, in the Swatara settle- ments, were brought to Lancaster and laid before the door of the court house.8
About June 10th, a scouting party of twenty-five men, under Lieuten- ant Hollyday, was attacked by the Indians, at the deserted house of Mr. McLellan in the Great Cove.9 In Colonial Records, 7, page 620, appears the deposition, of George Ebert, which recites, the attack on eighteen men, May 2nd, near the house of Philip Bozart in Lower Smithfield township, when Conrad Bittenbender, Jacob Roth and John Nelf were killed and Peter Sheaffer and Ebert captured; that they were taken beyond Tioga, made their escape and were concealed and fed by French Margaret (Mon- tour), at Tioga, for four weeks, when she advised them it was unsafe to remain; and with her assistance and that of other friendly Indians they made their way home, and on the way learned that the Indians had killed Edward Marshall's wife.
Some of the worst murders were committed after the eastern Dela- wares had agreed to lay down the hatchet.10
George Croghan, as deputy Indian superintendent, conducted a treaty, at Easton, from July 23rd to August 7, 1757, with Teedyuscung and his party of one hundred fifty nine Indians and one hundred nineteen Senecas and others of the Six Nations. While on their way, "a young Indian, Wil- liam Tatamy strayed away and was shot by a foolish white boy," and this for a time threatened to interrupt the proceedings, but was patched up. Teedyuscung demanded a clerk, which was allowed him, and he named Charles Thompson, master of the Quaker school in Philadelphia, brought along by Pemberton for the purpose. The other secretaries were, William Trent for Croghan and Jacob Duche for the province. The interpreters were: Thomas McKee for Croghan, Conrad Weiser for Pennslyvania and John Pompshire for Teedyuscung. The Iroquois were silent witnesses of the transactions.
Teedyuscung, while drunk, made a rambling speech, no one could understand, but later, what he intended to say was written out. He charged, the proprietors had misinterpreted some deeds, made false measurements of land and purchased lands from those (the Iroquois), who had no right to sell; and demanded the Delawares be paid for lands,
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he alleged to be falsely held, that 2,000,000 acres and Shamokin and Wyoming be set apart to them, that houses be erected for them, at the latter place, and their children be taught and given religious instruction.
Governor Denny, Croghan and Weiser were intent on making a peace treaty, and thereby save the frontier, and wisely shunted aside the land question, as a matter for Sir William Johnson's decision, realizing it would incite the Iroquois and perhaps bring on a more terrible war, than Teedy- uscung's murderous uprising. Pemberton and the Quakers were deter- mined to prevent a treaty, until the land claim was settled, and in Teedy- uscung conceived an instrument to disgrace and humiliate the Penn heirs and ignore and insult the proud and powerful Iroquois. But, he was a fragile reed to prop their desires, and the ground slipped under pious Quaker feet. The Delawares desired peace and Labboughpeton, one of their principal men, interrupting one of Teedyuscung's rambling talks, rebuked him, "What has not your Brothers desired you to bring us down by the hand to make peace. Why don't you do it? We have been here twenty days and have heard nothing but scolding and disputing about lands. Settle the peace and let all the disputed land stand till after."
Whether induced, by a realization of where he was drifting by Pem- berton's instigation, or by the finesse of Croghan and Weiser, Teddy- uscung concluded to waive his pretensions, and only insist on the examina- tion of certain deeds, which when examined, by Thompson, were pro- nounced correct. A promise was made to transmit them and a statement of the case to the king ; and a treaty of peace was entered into.11 It accom- plished little except the frustration of Pemberton's and the Friendly Asso- ciation's plans, and they pronounced it, "a glaringly disgraceful meeting."12
The bloody outrages on the frontier still continued ;13 and the Treaty of Easton had little effect in restraining the Indians, whose minds were inflamed, by the Quakers, with the notion they had been wronged, or as George Croghan wrote: "I find by your letter, that the Quakers still con- tinue to set up Teedyuscung against the governor ; this I always expected. Sure those people must be mad, for in my opinion, they are setting up the Indians to claim the whole province; and indeed, if we would be unsuccess- ful in the war, they may say all the British colonies belongs to them ; how long the government at home will suffer the Quakers to act the part they have hitherto done, I can't say, but if long permitted, I fear their conduct in the end will not be found for the good of his Majesty's subjects in America."14
NOTES-CHAPTER FOURTEEN
1. Bougainville's Journal; Report of Col. Frye to Gov. Pownall; Bancroft's History ; Montcalm and Wolfe.
2. Doc. History of N. Y .; N. Y. Col. Docs, 7, 341.
3. Ibid, 515; Johnson Papers 2, 760 to 762.
4. Col. Docs. 7, 396, 401, 413, 437, 442, 453, 454.
5. In April, 1757, Peter Soan and Christian Klein murdered, and latter's
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daughter captured north of Fort Hamilton (Col. Docs. 7, 492) ; thirteen killed near Conococheague creek (Col. Docs. 7, 502) ; Andreas Gundryman killed near Fort Hamilton (Pa. Archs. 3, 139). In May, in Berks county, seven persons killed. In June : Adam Trump killed and wife and daughter captured at Allemangel; Mr. Tidd and Peter Gersinger killed between Fort Henry and Fort Northkill (Col. Docs. 7, 621). In July, in Heidelberg, two children killed and woman scalped, and Christian Schrenk's two children captured; in Bethel township, two men killed and another wounded; in Linn township, Adam Klaus' child scalped, Martin Yaeger and wife killed, John Krauschaar's two children killed, wife and child scalped, Abraham Seckler's child killed, wife scalped, Philip Eschton's child killed. In August; In Bethel township, John Winkleblech's two sons killed and Leonard Longs son captured ; in Hanover township, Mrs. Isaac Williams, George Maurer and James Mackey killed, William and Joseph Barnet wounded, Mrs. Smelley, James Mackey's son, Joseph Barnet's son, Elizabeth Dickey and child, Mrs. Samuel Young and child captured; in Paxton, Mr. Beatty captured; near Fort Lebanon, Peter Semelcke's buildings burned and his three children captured. In September, in Lebanon township, Peter Wampler's four children captured; in Bern township a number killed and captured; in Berks county, four persons killed and four captured near Northkill. In November, in Hanover township, Thomas Robinson and Thomas Bell's son killed (Pa. Gazette, May 26, Aug. 11 and Sept. 1, 1757; Saur's Journal, July, 1757; Rupp's History of Berks county, 70, 75).
6. Col. Recs. 7, 622 to 629.
7. Ibid, 634 to 648; History of the Friendly Association, 69 to 76.
8. Col. Recs. 7, 538; Pa. Archs. 3, 194.
9. Col. Recs. 7, 599.
10. In June, George Croghan reported: three boys captured north of Win chester, Mr. Miller killed and two of his children taken near Henry Pontius', a woman wounded and Gerard Pendergrass' daughter killed within sight of Fort Lyttleton (Col. Recs. 7, 632). In July : In Lynn township, Northampton county, Martin Yager and wife, Mrs. John Cronshores and two children, a Secler child and Philip Antone's child killed (Pa. Archs. 3, 211).
11. Col. Recs. 7, 649 to 714; Pa. Archs. 3, 208, 209; Wallace's Weiser 472 to 487; Volwiler's Croghan 133 to 136; History of Friendly Ass. 69 to 78; N. Y. Col. Docs. 7, 280 to 324.
12. History of Friendly Assn. 79.
13. In July : Four people killed in Cumberland county and a raid in Sherman's valley (Pa. Archs. 3, 212) ; seven miles from Shippensburg, John Kirkpatrick and Dennis O'Neillon killed and John Csney's two sons and Kirkpatrick's son missing ; harvesters attacked in John Stenson's field ten miles from Shippensburg and Joseph Mitchell, John Finley, Robert Stenson, Andrew Enslow, John Wiley, Allen Henderson and William Mitchell killed, and Jane McCannon, Janet Harper and John Harper's son captured. (Pa. Archs. 3, 219, 220). During the Easton conference, in Bern township, 13 miles from Reading, Mr. Good and a boy captured. (Pa. Archs. 3, 245, 246. In October, William Martin killed near Fort Hunter. Oct. 11, Michael La. Chauvignerie, 18 year old son of commander of Fort Machault, who had been leading an Indian raiding party surrendered at Fort Henry, rather than starve. Pa. Archs. 3. 293 to 296 and 305 to 308).
14. Pa. Archs. 3, 319.
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
1758
Despair and defeat ended 1757, but the awakened English people forced the appointment of Pitt, as secretary of state in full charge of the war, and he selected real soldiers, Amherst, Wolfe and Forbes to, conduct American operations. Loudon was recalled, but, unfortunately, the incom- petent Abercrombie was retained in command of the northern army, which consisted of six thousand regulars and nine thousand provincials assembled at the head of Lake George. It was the best equipped of any force, yet, formed on the northern frontier. It is said, Pitt intended Lord Howe should be the real commander.
The army embarked July 5, 1758, and with waving banners and shining arms glided down the glistening waters of Lake George. At day- break the next morning, they landed where the steamboat wharves have since been erected and attacked Langy's rangers posted there to obstruct them. The French were defeated and fled down Trout Brook. Early in the afternoon, the English army advanced in four columns. Rogers' rangers and two New England regiments led the way. Howe, accompanied by Major Israel Putnam, was in advance of the regulars. Langy's rangers, attempting to make their exit at the mouth of Trout Brook, encountered the English and fired, killing Lord Howe. The regulars retreated in dis- order, but were rallied by the steadiness of Rogers' rangers and the two Massachusetts regiments, which fell back upon hearing the firing. The French were caught between two fires, and most of them were killed or captured.
The troops were dispirited by the death of Lord Howe, and Rogers said, "The fall of this noble and brave officer seemed to produce an almost general languor and consternation through the whole army. Another officer wrote, "The soul of General Abercrombie's army seemed to expire. From the unhappy moment, the general was deprived of his advice, neither order nor discipline was observed, and a strange infatuation usurped the place of resolution."
Ticonderoga is on an eminence, overlooking Lake Champlain and the outlet of Lake George, and before it is a low ridge of rugged ground. Montcalm was undecided where to make his stand, but accepting the advice of his officers, did so at the ridge. There, his whole army was
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engaged in felling trees and interlacing the logs into a barricade eight feet high. In front of this breastwork, the limbs of trees were sharpened and pointed outwards, and this impenetrable obstruction was continued for some distance on the plain beyond. Montcalm had an effective force of three thousand six hundred men.
Had Abercrombie possessed soldier sense, he would have planted his cannon on Mt. Defiance and by his artillery fire compelled the evacuation of Ticonderoga; or would have occupied the road to Crown Point, and thus intercepted supplies and reinforcements, forcing submission. He did neither, but shortly after noon, July 8th, ordered his men to attack the breastwork. Earlier, Sir William Johnson's Indians began an ineffectual musketry fire from the slope of Mt. Defiance. The main column drove the French pickets in, and after struggling more than an hour to get through the abatis, retired, pronouncing the defenses impregnable. Abercrombie ordered them to renew the assault, but beaten back, the order was repeated again and again. Many were impaled on the pointed prongs and entangled in the maze of interwoven branches, becoming fixed targets for the unerr- ing aim of the French, and the interlaced trees were littered with the dead and dying. At 5 o'clock, the English hewed their way to the foot of the rampart, but Montcalm's reserves repulsed them. An hour later the last senseless assault was made.
The French victory was complete, and their losses were, only, three hundred seventy men killed and wounded, but among the latter were Bourlamaque and Bougainville. The next morning, the English retreated down Lake George, but they had sustained the loss of four hundred sixty- four regulars and eighty-seven provincials killed and eleven hundred seven- teen regulars and two hundred thirty-nine provincials wounded. The miss- ing were thirty-seven and the total casualties amounted to nineteen hun- dred forty-four. Abercrombie bereft of his wits, had the contempt of his soldiers, who, in derision, dubbed him, "Mrs. Nabbycrombie."
Both French and English remained inactive, during the summer and fall; but French rangers, continually intercepted communication between Fort Edward and Lake George ; and a detachment, under Marin ambushed Rogers' rangers and captured Israel Putnam, who would have been burned at the stake, by the Indians, had not Marin rescued him. Rogers, how- ever, reorganized his men and succeeded in beating off the French.
During 1758, conditions were unchanged on the Pennsylvania fron- tier. Ten houses were erected for Teedyuscung and his Indians at Wy- oming, and land was ploughed for their cultivation. Isolated farm houses were the prey of marauding savages and many people were killed, scalped and captured.1
The most potent agent, in winning the western Indians, was the Moravian missionary, Christian Frederick Post sent by Governor Denny with a message to the Ohio tribes. Post left Fort Augusta, July 27th, accompanied by Pesquetum and Shamokin Daniel, a traitorous Indian, whom Post says, "Nearly overset me." Nothing is more heroic, than the dauntless courage of this fearless man, who traveled the narrow trail
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through the wilderness, untrod by any Englishman, for years. At every by-pass, there was danger of lurking savages waiting to kill him. His horses mired in the swamps, he crossed, and had to be goaded up the steep mountains they ascended. He slept on the ground, tormented by mos- quitoes, and had no food, save the game his Indians killed. The heavy rains wet him to the skin and the briars tore his flesh. He took his life in his hands, but supreme faith in God sustained him.
When he arrived near Cuesheusking his destination, Post sent Pes- quetum with a message, that he brought words of great consequence from the governor and wanted to see them at the council fire, and they should gather together all the kings and captains from all the towns to hear his words. King Beaver kindly received him, and the Indians desired to know what Teedyuscung had said of them. When Post told them, they denied they had sent any message to the governor by him or said anything in the manner reported by Teedyuscung. They protested, they would have nothing to do with any treaty made by Teedyuscung. Post's message seemed acceptble, but Shingas and Delaware George stated, any peace, they alone made, would be of no significance, unless joined in by all the Indians.
Shawnees and Mingoes came and all insisted Post should go to Fort Duquesne and present his message. When he arrived opposite the fort, the French came and demanded Post should be sent to the fort and there placed under restraint, but the Indian chiefs refused the demand and cautioned him not to stir from the council fire, as the French had offered a great reward for his scalp. "Accordingly, I stuck, constantly, close to the fire, as if I had been chained there," he says.
Three hundred were present at the council, and Post entreated the Delawares to return to their old homes along the Susquehanna, and promised their offenses would be forgiven and forgotten. He declared the English desired to live in peace with them and did not want to make war against them, but were sending their armies to fight the French. The Indians received the wampum he presented and promised an answer in twelve days.
The French said to the Indians at Fort Duquesne, they perceived the Delawares were wavering and no longer faithful to them, and suggested as the Delawares with Post were only a handful, "Lets cut them off, and then, we shall be troubled with them no longer." The chiefs answered : "No, we can't do this thing, tho' there be but a handful here, the Dela- wares are a strong people and are spread at a great distance and what- ever do agree to, must be."
The French bribed Shamokin Daniel to betray Post ; and before day- break, the 27th, Post with six Indians left by a roundabout road, and was screened by the main body of Delawares, who remained behind to prevent any pursuit by the French. Shingas, King Beaver, Delaware George, Captain Killbuck and other chiefs told him, they had intended to join the French, but since he came, they were inclined to draw back, say- ing: Tho' we have reason to believe you intend to drive us away and
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settle the country, or why do you and the French come to fight in the land God has given us." Post assured them, as best he could, and after vexatious delays, received their final answer, that "when the English had made peace with the other tribes, the Allegheny Indians will all join it."
The lonely missionary had broken the backbone of Indian resistance in the west. Yet the Indians were vascillating, and said to him: "Now if you had brought the news, before your army began to march, it would have caused a great deal more good. We don't readily believe you." They realized the French weakness; and the glistening bayonets and rumbling artillery of Forbes' battalions in the mountains, made the Indians waver to the stronger side, and induced them to yield to the overtures of peace, which Post had pressed upon them with irresistible tact and persistency. His return was without incident and he arrived at Fort Augusta, Septem- ber 22nd.2
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