History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 24

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 24
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 24

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for a moment that the Indians came to Yellow creek with hos- tile intentions, or that they had any suspicion of similar inten- tions on the part of the whites, against them? Would five men have crossed the river, three of them become in a short time dead drunk, while the other two discharged their guns, and thus put themselves entirely at the mercy of the whites ; or would they have brought over a squaw with an infant pappoose, if they had not reposed the utmost confidence in the friendship of the whites? Every person who is at all acquaint- ed with Indians knows better, and it was the belief of the in- habitants who were capable of reasoning on the subject that all the depredations committed on the frontiers, by Logan and his party, in 1774, were as a retaliation for the murder of Logan's friends at Yellow ereek. It was well known that Michael Cresap had no hand in the massacre at Yellow creek."

APPENDIX C.

LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS ON THE INDIAN OUTRAGES.

In addition to Doddridge's account of the causes which led to the Dunmore war we herewith present an extract from a let- ter dated at Redstone, October, 1774, which will be found in the American Arehives, vol. 1, page 1016:

"It will not be improper to investigate the cause of the Indian war which broke out in the spring, before I give you a sketch of the history of the expedition which his Excellency Lord Dunmore, has carried on successfully against the Shawa- nese, one of the richest, proudest, and bravest of the Indian na- tions. In order to do this, it is necessary to look baek as far as the year 1764, when Colonel Bouquet made peace with that na- tion. The Shawanese never complied with the terms of that peace; they did not deliver up the white prisoners; there was no lasting impression made upon them by a stroke from the troops employed against them that campaign; and they barely acquiesced in some articles of the treaty by command of the Six Nations. The Red Hawk, a Shawanese chief, insulted Colonel Bouquet with impunity; and an Indian killed the Colonel's foot-man the day after the peace was made. This murder not being taken notice of, gave rise to several daring outrages com- mitted immediately after.

In the year following, several murders were connnitted by the Indians on New river; and soon after, several men em- ployed in the service of Wharton and Company, were killed on their passage to Illinois, and the goods belonging to the com- pany carried off. Sometime after this outrage, a number of men employed to kill meat for the garrison of Fort Chartres, were killed, and their rifles, blankets, &e., carried to the Indian towns. These repeated hostilities and outrages being commit- ted with impunity, made the Indians bold and daring. Al- though it was not the Shawanese alone that committed all these hostilities, vet, letting one nation pass with impunity, when mischief is done, inspires the rest of the tribes with cour- age; so that the officers commanding his Majesty's troops on the Ohio at that time, not having power or spirit to pursue the Indians, nor address to reclaim them, mischief became familiar to them; they were sure to kill and plunder whenever it was in their power, and indeed they panted for an opportunity.

It is probable you will see Lord Dunmore's speech to some chiefs of the Six Nations, who waited on his Lordship; it men- tions the particular murders and outrages committed by them every year successively, since they pretended to make peace with Colonel Bouquet. The most recent murders committed by the Indians before the white people began to retaliate, were that of Captain Russell's son, three more white men, and two of his negroes, on the 15th of October, 1773: that of a Dutch family on the Kanawha, in June of the same year; and one Richard, in July following; and that of Mr. Hoge and three white men, on the Great Kanawha, early in April 1774. Things being in this situation, a message was sent to the Shawanese, inviting them to a conference, in order to bury the tomahawk and brighten the chain of friendship. They fired upon the mes- sengers, and it was with difficulty they escaped with their lives. Immediately on their return, letters were written by some gentlemen at Fort Pitt, and dispersed among the inhabi- tants on the Ohio, assuring them that a war with the Shawanese was unavoidable, and desiring them to be on their guard, as it was uncertain where the Indians would strike first. In the mean time, two men, of the names of Greathouse and Baker, sold some rum near the mouth of Yellow creek, and with them some Indians got drunk, and were killed. Lord Dunmore has

"Cresap did not live at Wheeling, but happened to be there at that time with a party of men, who had, with himself, just returned from an exploring expedition down the Ohio, for the purpose of selecting and appropriating lands (called in the West " locating lands ") along the river in choice situations; a practice at that early day very common, when Virginia claimed both sides of the stream, including what is now the State of Ohio .- Hildreth. 9-B. & J. COS.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

ordered that the manner of their being killed be inquired into. Many officers and other adventurers who were down the Ohio, in order to explore the country and have lands surveyed, upon receiving the above intelligenee, and seeing the letters from the gentlemen at Fort Pitt, thought proper to return. Captain Michael Cresap was one of these gentlemen. On their return to the river, they fell in with a party of Indians and being apprehensive that the Indians were preparing to attack them, as appeared by their manoeuvers, the white people being the smallest number, thought it advisable to have the advant- age of the first fire, whereupon they engaged, and after ex- changing a few shots, killed two or three Indians and dispersed the rest; hostilities being then commenced on both sides, the matter became serious."

APPENDIX D.

EXTRACT TAKEN FROM ALEXANDER M'KEE, ESQR'S., JOURNAL OF

TRANSACTIONS WITH THE INDIANS AT PITTSBURGH, &C., FROM THE 1ST OF MAY TO THE 10TH OF JUNE, 1774.

May 1st, 1774. Information having been given that sundry depredations had been committed upon several Indian parties going down the river from this place (Pittsburgh) by the white inhabitants settled upon the Ohio, near Wheeling and Yellow creek, the following message was dispatched to King Custaloga, Captains White Eyes, Pipe and such other chiefs as were most contiguous to this place :

"Brethren : We are under the necessity, from some dis- agreeable intelligence which we have just received, of calling upon your immediate attendance at this place, where we shall have some things of importance to communicate to you, which intimately concerns the welfare of us both ; this will be suffi- cient, we expect, to induee your speedy appearanee here, as de- lays upon those occasions may be attended with the most dan- gerous consequences." A string of white wampum.

3d. A meeting held at Col. Croghan's house, at which was present Captain Connelly, the commandant of the militia, and several inhabitants of Pittsburgh, with Kuyashuta, the White Mingo, and a deputation of Six Nation Indians, who were here upon their way with speeches from Sir William Johnson to the Iluron and Wabash confederacy.

"Brethren : We are sorry to inform you that we have lately received accounts of some outrages being committed upon several of your people going down the Ohio by some ill-dis- posed white persons settled upon it, and we take the earliest opportunity of making you acquainted with what we have heard in order to convince you that we discountenanee so bar- barous a breach of our friendship with you ; and we can assure you that it has not been done with the intent or knowledge of the government; and we make no doubt your brother, the Gov- ernor of Virginia, when he becomes fully acquainted with the cireumstances of the unhappy loss you have sustained in so many of your people, that he and his wise men will fall upon the most salutary measures of doing you every justice that ean be expected. In the meantime, we have to recommend to you in the most earnest manner your affording every assistance in your power to aceommodate this unfortunate breach which has hap- pened, as you must be sensible that a general difference be- tween us must be attended with the greatest calamity on both sides." A belt of wampum.

APPENDIX E.

The following letter from Devereux Smith, dated at Pitts- burgh, and found in the Pennsylvania archives, adds to the accumulation of documents upon the subject :

DEVEREUX SMITH TO DR. WM. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA.

PITTSBURGH, June 10th, 1774.

SIR :- I returned to this place the 11th of May, and found my family in the greatest confusion, owing to the appearance of an Indian war and the tyrannical treatment they received from Dr. Connelly, in my absence.

Before I was illegally taken from my family the 10th of April, I understood from the Shawanese chiefs at a council with Mr. McKee, the Indian agent under Sir William Johnson, that they were very much dissatisfied at the rapid progress the Virgin-

ians had made down the Ohio in settling the lands below the purchase, viz : below Seioto river, which they looked upon as a great encroachment on their liberties and properties. They also expressed their surprise to see a number of armed men assembled at this place with their colors, at different times making a warlike appearance, and said that after the first muster of the 25th of January, some of the military fired at their camps near the mouth of the Saw Mill run.

These Shawanese chiefs were sent for by Mr. Croghan, last summer, and came here the 25th of December, and remained till the first of April, during which time they often complained to the inhabitants of this place that Mr. Croghan had sent for them to do business, and kept them in great distress for want of provisions and clothing, upon which the inhabitants were at some expense supplying them during their stay, and when they were going home made a collection of goods for them in order to send them off satisfied.

On the 15th of April Mr. William Butler sent off a canoe loaded with goods for the Shawanee town, and on the 16th it was attacked about forty miles from here by three Cherokee Indians, who had waylaid them on the river bank. They killed one white man and wounded another, and a third made his eseape; they plundered the canoe of the most valuable part of the eargo and made off; but, as they were Cherokees, we were sure they did this for the sake of plunder alone, therefore, thought no more of it than the loss. As Mr. Butler was under the necessity of sending people to assist in bringing his peltry from the Shawanee town, he sent off another eanoe on the 24th of April in eare of two Indians who were well known to be good men, and two white men. On the 27th, about ninety miles from here, they were fired upon from the shore and both the Indians were killed by Michael Cresap and a party he had with him. They also sealped the Indians. Mr. Cresap then immediately followed the above mentioned Shawanese chiefs some small distanee lower down where they were eneamped and fired upon them, killed one and wounded two more. The Indians fled to the Delaware towns, which were the nearest, and are greatly exasperated at this treatment, as they did not expect any such thing from the English. About that same time a party headed by one Greathouse, barbarously murdered and scalped nine Indians at the house of one Baker, near Yel- low creek, about fifty-five miles down the river.

Owing to these eruelties committed by Cresap and Great- house, the inhabitants of Raccoon and Weiling* fled from that settlement, and are chiefly gone to Virginia. After Cresap had been guilty of these eruelties he returned to Maryland, but has since come back with a party of men. Cresap wrote to Con- nelly and Mr. M'Kee, threatening that if they did not give him sceurity that the Indians would not do any mischief for six months, that he. Cresap, would immediately proceed to commit further hostilities against the Indians. About the 21st of April, Connelly wrote a letter to the inhabitants of Weiling that he had been informed by good authority that the Shaw- anese were ill disposed towards the white men, and that he therefore required and commanded them to hold themselves in readiness to repel any insults that might be offered by them. This letter fell into the hands of Cresap, and he says that it was in consequence of this letter and the murders committed by the Cherokees on Mr. Butler's people that he committed the hostilities above mentioned. I am informed that the 6th of May, Mr. Croghan sent Capt. White-Eyes, of the Indian ehiefs, in company with some of our traders to acquaint the Shaw- anese and Delawares that the outrages had been committed by some of our ill-disposed people and without the least countenance from the government. This Indian promised to use his best endeavors to accommodate matters, and returned here the 24th of May and brought with him ten white men, who had been protected by the Delawares eight days in their towns, and guarded safe to this place. He also brought a speèeh from the Delawares, from which we have great reason to believe they are not inclined for war; we also believe that they will endeavor to preserve the lives of the traders that are now amongst the Shawanese; he had also brought from the Shawanese chief, ealled the Hardman, an answer to a speech sent to them by Mr. Croghan, upon this occasion, in which he signifies that the Shawanese are all warriors, and will not listen to us until they have satisfaction of us for what injuries they have received from the Virginians.

White-Eyes informs us that a Mingo man called Logan, whose family had been murdered in the number, had raised a party to cut off the Shawanee town traders, at the eanoe bottom

*Wheeling.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

at Hawkhawkin (Hockhocking) creek, where they were pressing their peltry; but we have heard since that the Shawanese have taken them under their care until matters are further settled; but God knows what fate they have met with. We hope they are all alive, and, if they be so, they have a chance to come in if the outrageous behavior of the Virginians does not prevent them. The 6th of this month we had account from Muddy creek, which empties into the river Monongahela near Cheat river, that the Indians had killed and scalped one man, his wife and three children, and that three more of the same man's children were missing. It has since been confirmed. We sup- pose this to be Logan's party, and that they will do more mischief before they return. About the 20th of May one Camp- bell, lately from Lancaster, was killed and scalped, near New- comerstown, and one Proctor at Weiling, by a party of Shaw- anese and Mingoes.

The Virginians in this part of the country seemed deter- mined to make war with the Indians, at any rate the one-half of this country is returned already to all intents and purposes, which a few months ago was in a flourishing way. Connelly has embodied upwards of one hundred men and will have this fort in good order in a short time. He is gathering in all the provisions he possibly can get from the country, which he says will be paid by the government of Virginia. The militia have by Connelly's orders, shot down the cattle and hogs belonging to the inhabitants as they please. They also press horses, and take by force any part of our property they think proper; and tell us that they have authority so to do, therefore, you may judge our situation at present. Before I returned from Virginia, about the 5th of May, Mr. Connelly sent an armed guard of men to my house, who attempted to take away a quantity of blankets and bags by force. Mr. William Butler, who lived at my house at that time, had a great dispute with them in de- fence of iny property, and put them out with great difficulty, on which they complained to Connelly, who immediately dis- patched a party of twelve men to the house in order to put their villainous scheme in execution, on which my wife locked her doors. Connelly came at the same time, began to abuse Mr. Butler and my wife. He also threatened to send Mr. Butler to Virginia in irons, and take every farthing's worth of prop- erty from him, damned my wife, telling her the same time that he would let her know that he commanded here, &c., &c., &c.

On the 27th day of May, Mr. McKee and I rode out about seven miles from town, and on our return were niet on the road by a man from Mrs. McKee, who came to tell us that Connelly had sent a party of men to pull down Mr. McKee's house. When we came home, we found a guard of six armed men pull- ing down two out-houses, in Mr. McKee's back yard; he ordered them to desist, saying that he would defend his people at the risk of his life ; upon which the men agreed to wait until we would talk to Mr. Connelly about the matter. We walked toward the fort with that intention, but were met by one Aston (a captain of Connelly's), at the head of about thirty armed men, followed by Connelly. Aston approached, and in a blasphemous manner accosted Mr. McKee, ordering the Virginia sheriff to seize hin. Upon which the sheriff, Aston and several others seized him in a violent manner. Aston presenting a rifle at Mr. McKee, threatened to shoot him down, which some of the by-standers prevented. Connelly came up at the same time, in a great rage, telling Mr. McKee that he would send him to Virginia in irons. He endeavored to expostulate with him, but all to no purpose, but told him that he would tear down his dwelling house if he thought proper. He also accused Mr. MeKee with being refractory on many occasions, and a fomenter of sedition, &c., &c., in opposition to the colony of Virginia, and that he had encouraged his servants to abuse one of his men, who was then present, calling the man to prove what he had asserted, but the man cleared Mr. McKee and his servants, saying that it was a man of Mr. Spear's who had struck him. Connelly being then confuted before upwards of sixty persons, said it was all as one of the magistrate's servants.

Aston attempted to run the muzzle of his gun at Mr. MeKee's face, but was prevented. In the meantime Connelly suffered a foresworn rascal (one Riely) to shake a stick at Mr. MeKee, and abuse him in an outrageous manner, without bringing him to an account for so doing. In this manner Connelly enforces all his laws.

On the seventh of this month, one Christy returned to this place from Williamsburg, and brought Connelly a packet from Lord Dunmore; he also brought some late newspapers, in which we had an account of the House of Burgesses being dissolved by Lord Dunmore. It happened that Mr. McKee told this news to a neighbor man, and that same evening Connelly came to

his house, accompanied by one of his officers, and began to abuse him in a most blasphemous and outrageous manner, ac- cusing him of being the cause of a meeting amongst his men, and alleged that he had asserted that there was no provision made by the House of Burgesses for the payment of the men under his command.

Connelly continued to threaten Mr. McKee with confinement. He read a paragraph of a letter to us, in which Lord Dunmore acquaints him of the commissioners from Philadelphia being at Williamsburg, and that the proposals they made in regard to a temporary line, were so extravagant that nothing could be done in it; but that Connelly might settle a line at present with the magistrates of this country, allowing it to be twelve or at least ten miles east of this place. We told him that no magistrate in this country could pretend to do anything of the kind, without instructions from the government of Pennsyl- vania. At this time the magistrates had raised a number of men in behalf of the government for the protection of the frontiers, and prevent the country from being entirely depopu- lated. About thirty of them were stationed at the Bullock Pens, seven miles east of this town. Connelly told us that he was determined to go or send out a party the next day to dis- possess our men of that post, and if they did not behave them- selves he would not suffer one Pennsylvanian to live on this side of Laurel Hill.

"12th. Mr. Connelly proposed to march from this place to- morrow with 200 men, to build a stockade fort at Wheeling creek, and another near Hawkhawkin creek, and says he will send parties at the same time against the Shawanese towns; and I am of opinion that they will make no distinction be- tween Shawanese and Delawares, as they are determined to have a general war.

" Mr. Croghan has set off this morning to Williamsburg, as he says, to represent the state of this country to Lord Dunmore and council, as also to acquaint them of Mr. Connelly's rash conduct at this place, which he seems to disapprove of.

"We are this day informed, that the three children before mentioned that were missing near Muddy creek, were found dead and scalped; and two other men in sight of a fort that was lately built on Dunkard creek, up the river Monongahela, all supposed to be done by Logan's party.

"The inhabitants of the town are busily employed in stockad- ing it round about, yet we have no reason to expect anything better than ruin and destruction.

"Mr. McKee wrote to Governor Penn, from Stormtown, the 5th of May, informing him of our enlargement; I also wrote to you and Dr. Smith, at the same time; but these letters were since returned to us here by Col. Wilson, as also the Governor's letter, which we have answered. I would be glad to hear the candid opinion of the Governor and council, concerning these extraordinary disturbances.

"I am, sir, your most obliged and humble servant.

"DEVEREUX SMITH."

"To Dr. WILLIAM SMITII."

APPENDIX F.

INDIGNATION MEETING AT PITTSBURGHI.

On the 25th of June, 1774, an indignation meeting was held by the citizens of Pittsburgh in consequence of the conduct of Dr. Connelly, who was commandant of the place, under Lord Dunmore, and among other proceedings the following remarks were made :

"PITTSBURGH, June 25, 1774.

" The distressed inhabitants of this place, have just cause to charge their present calamity and dread of an Indian war, en- tirely to the tyrannical and unprecedented conduct of Dr. John Connelly, whose designs (as we conceive) is to better his almost desperate circumstances, upon the distress of the public, and the ruin of our fortunes, as will appear from the following facts:

1st. Ou the 25th day of January last, a number of disorderly persons assembled themselves here, in consequence of his ad- vertisements, as militia, who, when dispersing, wantonly or maliciously fired upon some friendly Indians in their hints, on the Indian shore, which conduct, together with so unexpected an appearance of so many people in arms at a time that they expected no hostile intention on our part, greatly alarmed them, as appeared by a complaint made by them at a council with Alexander McKee, Esq., Indian agent, and some of the inhabitants of this place, a few days after.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

"2d. Michael Cresap, in vindication of his own conduct, alleges that it was in consequence of a circular letter said Con- nelly direeted to the inhabitants on the Ohio that he murdered the Indians, and that in a manner, that savage ferocity could scarcely equal, and in cold blood, without the least provoca- tion, amongst whom were some .Delawares, that had been em- ployed by Mr. William Butler to carry goods, and hand to the relief of his brother, who was at that time in the Indian coun- try, all of which property they have been deprived of to a con- siderable amount ; also, every part of said Connelly's conduet to our friendly Indians, convinces us that he means to force them to war, as he both refuses to protect, and endeavors to murder those that, at the risk of their lives, came with our traders to protect them, and to deliver assurances of their friendship to the public, which can be produced if required."

DODDRIDGE'S ACCOUNT.

The following is Doddridge's aecount of the precursory events to the Dunmore campaign :

"In the month of April, 1774, a rumor was circulated that the Indians had stolen several horses from some land jobbers on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. No evidences of the fact having been adduced leads to the conclusion that the report was false. This report, however, induced a pretty general belief that the Indians were about to make war upon the frontier settlements, but for this apprehension there does not appear to have been the slightest foundation. In consequence of this apprehension of being attacked by the Indians, the land jobbers aseended the river, and collected at Wheeling. On the 27th of April it was reported in Wheeling that a canoe containing two Indians and some traders was coming down the river and then not far from the place. On hearing this the commandant of the sta- tion, Captain Cresap, proposed taking a party to go up the river and kill the Indians. This projeet was vehemently op- posed by Colonel Zane, the proprietor of the place. He stated to the captain that the killing of those Indians would inevita- bly bring on a war, in which much innocent blood would be shed, and that the aet itself would be an atrocious murder, and a disgrace to his name forever. His good counsel was lost. The party went up the river. On being asked, at their return, what had become of the Indians? they coolly answered that 'They had fallen overboard into the river!" Their canoc, on being examined, was found bloody and piereed with bullets. This was the first blood which was shed in this war, and terri- ble was the vengeance which followed.

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History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 24

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728