USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I > Part 53
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Messrs. Brodhead, De Pui and Shoemaker were prevented by the ravages of the savages in Northampton County from executing the com- mission entrusted to them by the Governor; while Scarooyady and Andrew Montour, who had been instructed, as agents and messengers of the Province, to set out from Philadelphia for the "Long House" of the Six Nations as expeditiously as possible (see page 326), did not start on their journey until early in December. At Shamokin they caine across Jonathan Cayanquiloquoa and his wife, whom they took along with them. Jonathan, who was a friendly Six Nation Indian, was the "Jonathan" mentioned in Conrad Weiser's letter printed on page 295. He resided on the Susquehanna in the vicinity of Shamokin and had been employed frequently as a messenger by the Government ; but for some time then had been missing from his usual haunts.
The messengers found all the Indians between Shamokin and Wyo- ming against the English. Arriving at Wyoming about the middle of December they found that Paxinosa, with a number of "fighting mnen of the Shawanese, Mohegans, Chickasaws and Six Nations, who were determined to adhere to the English," had separated from the rest of the Indians in the valley and retired to a secluded little valley some two miles north-east of Paxinosa's village, where they had erected their cabins .* Here Scarooyady and his party found, also, John Shikellimy, his wife, his children and his two brothers-one of them being James Logan, mentioned in the note on page 185.
At the time of the arrival of Scarooyady and his companions at Wyoming a party was being organized at Teedyuscung's town to go over the mountains to pillage the plantations of the white settlers along the Delaware River and procure a supply of provisions, of which the Indians at Wyoming were badly in need. John Shikellimy and his brothers had crossed the Susquehanna and joined this party, and they only awaited the arrival of a band of eighty Delawares, with whom they were to set out. Scarooyady took Shikellimy aside and upbraided him for his ingratitude to the Pennsylvania Government. The latter said that his agreeing to go on the pillaging expedition "was against his in- clination, but he could not help it-they threatening to kill him if he did not go." Nevertheless, owing to the "Half King's" talk, he did not go.
Shikellimy stated that "when the Delawares from Ohio proclaimed war against the English they forewarned all the Indians to come away from the English, and desired them to move up the North Branch of the Susquehanna." A Council was called at Shamokin and it was agreed by the Indians there, chiefly Delawares, to remove to Nesco- peck for safety. Shikellimy and his relatives went thither, but after awhile found the Indians there to be in the French interest. "When the said Delawares began to bring in Englishi scalps," stated Shikellimy to Scarooyady, t "we left the town and came to Wyoming, and here, on the west side, a few miles from the river, we gathered to the number of
* This locality was west of what is now known as Ross Hill-between Larksville and "Poke Hollow." + See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 48.
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thirty fighting men of such Indians as would not join the Delawares in murdering the English. Paxinosa, who is chief of the Shawanese of Wyoming, is very hearty in the English interest, and spoke very bold to the Delawares. They told him at last that if lie said one word more they would knock him on the head. A certain chief of the Delawares, by name, used all his strength of reason to dissuade the Delawares from listening to the French, but to no purpose. The Dela- wares silenced him also."
In due time the eighity Delaware warriors arrived at Teedyuscung's town, where Scarooyady and Montour had a conference with them and the inhabitants of the town. The "Half King" sought in a speech, accompanied by a belt of wampum, to dissuade them from going to war against the English, but the Delawares pushed the belt aside with their pipe-stems and declared, "in plain terms, that they would pay 110 regard to what should be said to dissuade them from hostilities against the English." The "Half King," in giving an account of this confer- ence some time later, stated : "They are determined to fight the English as long as there is a man left. It was with much difficulty we got through the settlement of the Delawares. I but just escaped with my life. I shall return to Philadelphia by way of Albany." According to the testimony of Shikellimy the "Half King" was "in the utmost danger of being killed by the Delawares. Whilst he was consulting with the eldest of them in the evening the rest, out of doors, cried out : 'Let us kill the rogue ! We will hear of no mediator, much less of a master ! Hold your tongue and begone ! We will do what we please !'"
Scarooyady and his company remained at Wyoming till the war- party had set out from Teedyuscung's town, and then they continued their journey up along the Susquehanna. Before starting, however, they took, in the language of the "Half King," "another step," which -together with their subsequent doings-he described as follows* :
"Seeing our friends Paxinosa and those thirty, that had retreated with him and lived by themselves, were surrounded with enemies and in great danger of receiving mischief from them, we took upon us (as we were members of the Council of the Six Nations and in the execution of a public trust from this Government) to order these friendly Indians to remove their council-fire to Owego. They objected to doing it dur- ing the severity of the Winter, and because they had sufficiency of corn to support them through it, but consented to remove in the Spring, and desired we would inform the people at Otsiningo of it, and speak to them to have canoes ready against that time and come and fetch them.
"From Wyoming we came to an Indian town called Asserughney, * where were about twenty Delawares-all violently against the English-to whom we said nothing, as we saw the badness of their disposition. From Asserughney we came to Chinkanning [Tunkhannock], an Indian town consisting of about thirty fighting men, distant from Wyoming about thirty miles. Here we saw a Dutch woman prisoner and a child with her. We likewise saw here the Delaware Teedyuscung, and with him we saw 'Joe,'t the black haired Indian that speaks English, and was his interpreter. Teedy- uscung is made King, or Sachem. He told us that he had sent three English scalps with belts to the Senecas, and one belt to the Oneidas, desiring assistance, for he expected the English would destroy him, but had received 110 answer to either. He then took out a large belt of black wampum, of thirteen rows, 'which,' he says, 'I am now going to send to the Six Nations ; and as this is the third time, if they send an answer, well and good ; if they do not, I shall know what to do.' The first scalps were sent by a great warrior, Owistogo, or 'Cut-finger Peter,' whom they met in the way with twenty Indians.
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 65.
+ JOE PEEPY, of whom Bishop Spangenberg spoke in 1755 as follows: "Having lived among the Presbyterians, and treacherously been gone from them, hath exasperated them in the highest degree." At Bethlehem, in June, 1756, Peepy declared openly that he was very sorry that he had taken "such a misstep as to leave his English brethren." Later he became a messenger, and then an assistant inter- preter, in the Provincial service. He was originally from Cranberry, New Jersey, and became one of Brainerd's Indian congregation. (See note, page 202.) Immediately before the Indian hostilities were begun Peepy resided among the Scots-Irish of the "Craig Settlement," near Lehigh Water Gap.
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"From Chinkanning we came to Diahogo [Tioga, mentioned on page 34], fifty miles higher up the Susquehanna, where were fifty cabins and about ninety grown men. We assure you, that all the way from Wyoming to Diahogo a day never passed without our meeting some warriors-six, eight or ten in a party, and twenty under 'Cut-finger Peter' -going after [to join] the eighty warriors whom we saw at Wyoming. All the Dela- wares who are settled at Wyoming and at Diahogo are in the French interest ; and these Delawares, with a party from Ohio, have lately done the mischief on the frontiers [of eastern Pennsylvania]. They have captivated twenty-six persons, mostly women and children, and there are five English captives now at Diahogo."
At Tioga, about January 1, 1756, Scarooyady met two sets of mes- sengers-one from the Oneidas and Cayugas and one from the Mohawks -despatched at the instance of Sir William Johnson to the Delawares, commanding them to desist from further hostilities and ordering them to attend on the Council then sitting at Fort Johnson .* They (the Delawares) were informed that they "were drunk and did not know what they were doing, and should have their heads shaked till they became sober." From Tioga Scarooyady's party went on to Oghwaga (mentioned in the note on page 257), which they reached January 4th. Thence they hastened, as directly as possible, to Fort Johnson, where the Council of the Six Nations was still sitting.
The Wyoming Delawares did not attend this Council, to which they had been summoned by messengers from the Oneida, Cayuga and Mohawk tribes. Reference has been made (on page 303) to the fact that at this period the tribes of the Six Nations were divided in the matter of their allegiance. to the whites-"some being for the English, and some for the French." The Senecas, particularly the western Senecas, were strongly inclined to the French. About this time the Delawares had drifted into a sort of alliance with the Senecas, and were largely if not wholly under the control of the latter.} Therefore, inas- much as no invitation or directions relative to the Council at Fort John- son were sent by the Senecas to the Delawares the latter did not put in an appearance there.
One day, during the meeting of this Council, there was an abrupt and unexpected reference to Col. John Henry Lydius and The Susque- hanna Company's land purchase, which was rather startling and discon- certing to at least two persons who were present. Conochguissa, an Oneida sachem, was speaking, and, turning to Sir William Johnson, he said :
"Brother, you promised you would keep this fire-place clear of all filth, and that no snake should come into the council-room. That man sitting there (pointing to Colonel Lydius) is a devil, and he stole our lands ; he takes an Indian slyly by the blanket, one at a time, and when they are drunk puts money into their bosoms and persuades them to sign deeds for our lands upon the Susquehanna, which we will not ratify, nor suffer to be settled by any means." *
Sir William, in his reply to the sachem, said :
"I did promise you I would keep this fire-place free from all filth, and I did desire that no snake should come into this council-roon1. As to Colonel Lydius, if his coming here is such an offense to you, I am sorry for it. He came of his own accord, without any invitation from ine. If Colonel Lydius hath done as you represent-and which I ani afraid is in a great measure true-I think he is very faulty."§
In the latter part of December, 1755, Daniel McMullen, a young man twenty-eight years of age, while at work in the woods at the Mini-
* See note, page 296. + See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VI : 697; VII : 47, 66.
# In June, 1757, Sir William Jolinson said to a deputation of Senecas, Cayugas and Onondagas at Fort Johnson : "I am well pleased that the Senecas, under whose directions the Delawares are, have, upon my application, interposed their influence upon these deluded people, to stop their hostilities."-"Pennsyl- vania Colonial Records." VII : 623.
¿ See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, II : 560.
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sinks, was taken prisoner by five of Teedyuscung's Indians, who, a few days previously, in that neighborhood, had burnt a house, killed eight men and captured a woman. McMullen and this woman were brought to Teedyuscung's town at Wyoming, where they staid two nights and "saw one hundred Delawares and Shawanese with their families, mixed with a few Mohawks." From Wyoming they proceeded to Tioga, where there were 130 hostile Indians. McMullen was kept there in captivity until the following Spring, when he was "sold to French Margaret's daughter* at Canisteo, forty miles north-west from 'Tioga." From there he escaped in September, 1757.1
A company of Provincials stationed at New Gnadenhütten was sur- prised and routed, and the settlement (consisting of eigliteen log houses, twelve cabins and a large meeting-house, with dwelling rooms) was totally destroyed by a numerous band of hostiles on New Year's-day, 1756. The same day Teedyuscung, accompanied by three of his half- brothers, one of his nephews and several other Delawares from Wyo- mning,¿ surprised the plantation of Peter Hess in Lower Smithfield, Northampton (now Monroe) County. This was only a few miles from the eastern end of the valley of the Pocopoco, in which Teedyuscung and the other members of his father's family had formerly lived (as mentioned on page 308). Here Peter Hess, his son Henry and several other persons were captured, who, with a considerable amount of booty, were taken Wyoming-ward via the Pocono Mountains and the Great Swamp. The first night they encamped on the mountains, where "the savages killed Peter Hess-cutting him almost in pieces with their knives-and tied the others to trees. They kindled a large fire, but the night was so cold that they could not sleep. At daylight they set out, and arrived at Wyoming in the evening [January 2, 1756]. They found the valley deserted. The party pushed on to Tunkhannock, where they found about one hundred men, women and children, and where the prisoners remained until the cold weather was over. They were after- wards taken to Tioga, and stayed there until they were brought down and delivered up to their friends at the treaty at Easton in the follow- ing November."§
About the time the Hess family was captured a young man, a German, was taken prisoner in Northampton County by Teedyuscung's band and later was given by them to a Minisink Indian. At first he was used rather roughly by his captors, but afterwards was treated kindly. He remained in captivity until April, 1757, when the brother of his custodian conducted him to Easton, where he was restored to his friends. ||
Early in January, 1756, Conrad Weiser, by authority of the Gov- ernor, sent "Silver Heels," previously mentioned, and "David, the Mo- hawk," on a mission to Wyoming. T They set out from John Harris' and journeyed as expeditiously as possible to Nescopeck, which they found deserted. A day or two later they "arrived at Wyomink, having waded big creeks and rivers ; and, finding it would be as much as their
* "Queen Catharine," mentioned in the note on page 207.
+ See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 283.
# See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, III : 56.
¿ See Pearce's "Annals of Luzerne County," page 3.
| See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 475.
" See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 47.
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lives were worth to enter the Delaware town [Teedyuscung's], they made known the nature of their business to some of the Six Nations, who lived in a town by themselves, with some Chickasaws and Mohegans, who, upon considering the matter, thought proper to get the Shawanese to take the thing in hand and speak to the Delawares, and they laid the thing before them, accordingly-they, likewise, living in a town by themselves .* Paxinosa, their chief, received their message and went to hold a separate council with his people by themselves. After the con- clusion thereof they sent for two of the Six Nation Indians, and the Indian called James Logan (see page 330) and another went to them and received and brought back an answer from Paxinosa and his people, in these words :
''We have considered the message brought up by Aroas ["Silver Heels"]. We think it is in vain to speak one word more to our grandfathers, the Delawares. I spoke so often to them to the same purpose till at last they threatened to knock me on the head ; and what can I do, since Scarooyady, a man of authority among the Six Nations, and of great experience and eloquence, could not prevail on them. They would not so much as touch his belts he laid before them. They throwed them on one side with their pipes, t and gave him ill language. So, upon the whole, we must give over, and desire that you will excuse us.' "
"Silver Heels" and David, accompanied by John Shikellimy and his wife, set out from Wyoming for Philadelphia, where they arrived Feb- ruary 23d-having gone by way of Shamokin, John Harris' and Cones- toga, where lived Shikellimy's sister, who joined the party. They ap- peared before the Governor and Council at the State House on February 24th, when Shikellimy made the following statement; :
"Nescopeck is now deserted, upon a rumor that Conrad Weiser, with a large number of men, was coming up to cut them off, and they, the Delawares, fled to Assarockney§ and higher up, and are nigher to Tiaoagon [Tioga], another Delaware town who are enemies to the English. They number not many above one hundred, though some will have them to be 200, but they include the Mohegans, who they hope will join them. There are two or three white men, deserters from Oswego, among them, who blacken themselves like Indians and go to fight with them. There are also some prisoners taken from the English, who they give or sell to one another. I, myself, had two given to me-a boy and a young woman. I gladly accepted them in order to save their lives, and I will, by the first opportunity, deliver them up to this Government. * *
* The Delawares are great cowards. As soon as any one of the men was killed by the English they fled ; and if the English had stood their ground they would have put them [the Delawares] to flight in every engagement. The few Shawanese at Wyoming don't join the Delawares, but stand neuter. It is thought the Delawares will leave Wyoming, as they are building canoes, and some say they will go by Tioga to Ohio. They are much divided in council, and have scarce any provisions."
Shikellimy stated that he was anxious to return to Wyoming "to take care of his family, promising to bring them and his two brothers along with him" back to the white settlements.
In March, 1756, Thomas Moffitt, aged twenty-six years, was taken prisoner by nine Indians at a place near Poughkeepsie, New York, and brought thence to Wyoming. Here the party staid two nights in com- pany with one hundred Indians, and then marched to a place about ten
* Paxinosa and his people had, apparently, at this time returned to their old village, in what is now the borough of Plymouth ; while the Mohegans, Chickasaws and refugee Six Nation Indians (to wit, the Shikellimys and some others) continued to abide in the temporary village back of Ross Hill.
+ See page 331. # See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 52.
¿ Asserughney, mentioned on page 188. Early in February, 1756, Governor Morris wrote to Col. George Washington, of Virginia : "In a late interview with some Indians at Carlisle I learnt that our enemy Indians have fixed upon a place upon the East Branch of the Susquehanna, called Nescopeckon, for their headquarters, from which they send out parties to annoy us." (See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, II : 565.) On the 4th of the following April Governor Morris wrote to Governor Hardy of New York as follows (see "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, II : 606) : * * "Neskopekon, where they have chiefly resided until lately ; but upon some apprehensions of being attacked by us they have moved to a place [Asserughney] covered by a steep mountain on one side and by the East Branch of the Susquehanna on the other, where they think themselves more secure. This I learnt from two Indians that I sent for intelligence up that river, who are lately returned."
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miles west from Wyoming, to which place they retreated with some precipitation-having first hidden their corn amongst the rocks-on hear- ing that the English were coming against them. After about two weeks they returned to Wyoming, whence, having waited four days until all the Indians living on the North Branch of the Susquehanna were collected together, they marchied in a body with their families and effects to 'Tioga. At Tioga they called a Council, and, being still appre- hensive of pursuit from the Englishi, they divided themselves into two parties of about equal numbers. One party removed to the Allegheny River region, and the other, including Moffitt the captive, to Canisteo (mentioned in the note on page 207), where Moffitt was sold to "Queen Catharine." In the following September lie escaped in company with Daniel McMullen, mentioned on page 332.
Shikellimy returned from Philadelphia to Wyoming, and was here during the time the Delawares were preparing to move northward, as just mentioned. Accompanied by his wife, his two brothers and their wives and the children of the three families, Shikellimy went down the Susquehanna to the fort at Hunter's Mill (six miles north of the present city of Harrisburg), commanded by Capt. Thomas McKee, where the party arrived on the 3d of April. He reported to Captain McKee and Edward Shippen* that there was "great confusion amongst ye Indi- ans up ye North Branch of Susquehanna. The Delawares are a-inoving all from thence to Ohio, and wants to persuade ye Shawanese to go along with them, but they decline going. The Shawanese are going up to a town called Tioga, where there is a body of ye Six Nations, and there they intend to remain." Shikelliiny was greatly dissatisfied at being at Fort Hunter, and told Mr. Shippen that "if the Governor thought proper he would go to Wyoming and endeavor to bring down Paxinosa, who would have come with him, but the Delawares would not permit it."
According to a statementt made in the Autumn of 1756 by Jolm Cox, who had been captured by the Indians in February of that year, and in March was taken to Tioga, there were at that time in the last- mentioned place "about fifty warriors belonging to tlie Delaware, Mo- hegan and Monsey tribes, and about twenty German prisoners. The Indians frequently went out in parties of twelve to destroy the inhab- itants, and as often returned with their scalps, but no prisoners."
April 4, 1756, Governor Morris wrote to Governor Hardy of New Yorkį: "I wish the Six Nations at the late treaty had come to some vigorous resolutions with regard to the Delawares. The French seem to have taken the Delawares under their protection. Our Com- missioners have agreed to give a reward for Indian prisoners and scalps, * and I am pressed to declare war against the Delawares, and by proclamation to offer those rewards. The Indians here whom I have consulted seem to approve the thing, and will give me their full answer
this week." On the 9th of April, at a meeting of the Board of Pro- vincial Commissioners in Philadelphia, it was "Agreed, That it be again proposed to the Governor to issue a proclamation as soon as may be, offering rewards for the scalps of enemy Indians ; and that this Board are willing to allow the following premiums for the same, viz .. For
* See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, II : 615, 634.
+ See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 242.
# See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, II : 607.
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every male Indian prisoner above ten years old that shall be delivered at any of the Government's forts or towns, 150 dollars *; for every female Indian prisoner, or male under ten years, delivered as above, 130 dollars ; for the scalp of every male Indian of above ten years old, 130 dollars ; for the scalp of every Indian woman, 50 dollars."t
The "late treaty" to which Governor Morris alluded, as just men- tioned, was the Council held at Fort Johnson in January, 1756, and referred to on page 332. Within a short time after the close of that Council deputies were despatched by the Six Nations to Otsiningo (see note, page 219), who convened there the Delawares, Shawanese and other Indians to the number of 300, from the several towns on the Susque- hanna, to whom they delivered a message from the Council, blaming them for taking up the hatchet against the English and ordering them to lay it down immediately. This command the hostiles promised to obey, and arrangements were made for the holding of a general con- ference of the Indians at Onondaga in the near future.
Before these facts became known to the Pennsylvania authorities, however, Governor Morris, with the approval of the Provincial Council, issued a proclamation of war against the hostile Indians. The procla- mation was published at the Court House, Philadelphia, April 14, 1756, in the presence of the Council, Judges of the Supreme Court, and a large body of citizens. The document declared "the Delaware Indians, and all others who in conjunction with them have [had] committed hostilities," to be rebels and traitors to the King. All Indians living northward of a line extending from "Diahoga, or Tohiccon," to "the Indian town called Cushetunk, upon Delaware,"# were excluded from the effects of the proc- lamnation, as were also the friendly and peaceable Indians who had re- moved into the settled parts of the Province. The proclamation set forth also the premiums that would be paid for Indian scalps and prisoners- which were the same that had been recommended by the Board of Com- inissioners, as previously mentioned. "The Quakers and Moravians ex- claimed against the barbarous character of the proclamation," states Pearce ("Annals of Luzerne County," page 44), "and the Assembly was in an uproar. But the War party was gratified, and the frontiersmen began to hope for deliverance from their bloodthirsty foes. The highly excited condition of men's minds at this period, produced by the shock- ing barbarities of the Indians, must be the only palliating excuse for this most unchristian measure."
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