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 56
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Colonel Croghan returned to America in 1765. At the beginning of the Revolution he appears to have embarked in the patriot cause, but later he became an object of suspicion. In 1778 he was declared by Penn- sylvania a public enemy, and his office of Indian Agent was conferred upon Col. George Morgan. He continued, however, to reside in Pennsylvania, and died at Passyunk in 1782. For copies of several of Croghan's journals, and for a sketch of his life, see "Early Western Travels," Vol. I.
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 462.
+ See ibid., page 453.
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Governor Denny on April 16th *- and then retraced his path up the river.
"I enclose two messages from Teedyuscung, which were delivered to Major Parsons at Easton. You will see by these that there is such a scarcity of provisions at Wyoming that the Chief desires some may be sent to help those who are with him on their journey. I have ordered a supply sent from Betlilehiem to Fort Allen, to be carried thence on horse- back to Wyoming by the Indians who are already come in."
The Indians, who, as previously noted, had arrived at Fort Augusta, proceeded without much delay down the river to John Harris', where they were met on March 29th by Colonel Croghan, who reported to the Governor that there were "about 160 of them-inen, women and chil- dren-part of eight tribes." A day or two later they were joined by a few Conestoga Indians, whose village was not many miles distant, and 011 April 1st a formal conference between Croghan and the Indians was begun. Among the white men present besides Croghan were the Rev. John Elder, Capt. Thomas McKee, Jolin Harris and Hugh. Crawford. All the tribes of the Six Nations were well represented with the excep- tion of the Seneca tribe, only a few members of which, and none of its principal chiefs, were present. Robert White, formerly of Wyoming, chief of the Nanticokes, was there with a delegation of his tribe. Tyan- hasare, or Abraham Peters (mentioned on page 277), Johannis Soge- howane, one of the signers of the deed to The Susquehanna Company (see page 276) and "Little Abe" (mentioned on page 278) were there among the Mohawks. Thomas King and Scarooyady were among the Oneidas, and Tapescawen, or Samuel (Teedyuscung's counselor), Thomas Evans (Teedyuscung's half-brother) and Joe Peepy were among the Delawares. Scarooyady was the principal speaker for the Indians. On April 6th it was decided to remove the council-fire to Lancaster, and the next day the entire company marched thither, being met on the ont- skirts of the town by a number of the principal inhabitants, who came out to formally welcome the Indians to their midst.
About this time news came down the Susquehanna that up near Tioga there was a band of Shawanese Indians who were minded to descend the river and do mischief. "One of Paxinosa's sons is amongst them," said the bearer of the news, "yet all the Indians agree that Pax- inosa himself is a true friend of the English." Almost contempor- aneously with the receipt of this news at Lancaster Peter Spelman (a German, who had resided seven years among the Shawanese on one of the western branches of the Susquehanna, where he had married a Shaw- anese wife) arrived at Fort Johnson, in the Mohawk Valley, and reported to Sir William Johnson that deputies from the "League of the Three Nations" would visit him in a short time, with a body of more than 200 Indians; that, in fact, they were then on the road. Their object was to smoke a friendly pipe with Sir William, after the manner of their fathers, and to offer him assistance in the war against the French. Spelman presented two strings of wampum from the chiefs as the cre- dentials of his authority, and informed the Baronet that the confederacy which he represented was composed of the Nanticokes and Conoys (then one nation), ; the Shawanese and the Mohegans, and that their head- quarters were at Otsiningo. On the 19th of April these Indians arrived at the south bank of the Mohawk (which was then swollen by the Spring flood), opposite Fort Johnson. The Shawanese were represented
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 179.
+ See note, page 219.
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by Paxinosa and 52 warriors; the Mohegans by Mammatsican, their King, with 147 of his tribe, and the Nanticokes by a chief and 8 war- riors. The chiefs having crossed the river in canoes were admitted to a council. Having been addressed in favorable and congratulatory terms by Sir William, who explained to them the true position of the English -as contrasted with that of the French-respecting the Indians, the chiefs, two days subsequently, replied, accepting the offer of the Chain of Friendship, and promising to keep "fast hold of it, and not quit it, so long as the world endured." In this address allusion was incident- ally made to a belt sent the previous year to the unfriendly Indians on the Ohio near Fort Duquesne ; and also to a similar belt sent to Tee- dyuscung, then residing near Tioga. The chiefs formally apprized Sir William of the League formed by their nations, and also that they had concentrated at Otsiningo, where imessages were directed to be sent to them in the future .*
The end of April caine on, and the Indians who had arrived at Lancaster some three weeks previously were still there awaiting the coming of Governor Denny to open the conference to which they had been invited. Finally the Governor was notifiedt by the Board of Indian Commissioners that they had been informed that the Indians at Lancaster were very uneasy, and complained of their long detention from their habitations, that their planting season was advancing fast, and that sundry of their warriors were ill of the small-pox. They stated, also, that some of the Indians then at Lancaster had offered not to return to their respective towns, but to settle at Wyoming and Shamokin. At length the Governor reached Lancaster, attended by members of the Provincial Council, members of the Assembly, the Indian Commissioners of the Province, Colonel Stanwix of the "Royal Americans," and by a number of private citizens. Three days later (May 12, 1757) the con- ference was formally opened at the Lancaster County Court House. "Little Abe" and Thomas King were the chief talkers for the Indians, and the principal speech delivered by "Little Abe" was, in part, as follows :
"Brothers, you desired us to open our hearts and inform you of everything we know that might have given rise to the quarrel between you and our nephews and brothers. In former times our forefathers conquered the Delawares and put petticoats on them. A long time after that they lived among you, our brothers ; but upon some difference be- tween you and then we thought proper to remove them, § giving them lands to plant and to hunt on at Wyoming and Juniata on the Susquehanna. But you, covetous of land, made plantations there and spoiled their hunting grounds. They then complained to us, and we looked over those lands and found their complaints to be true."
The chief thereupon referred to the acts of hostility then recently committed by the Delawares, and to the fact that the Senecas had neglected to put forth any efforts to establish peace and tranquillity ; and next, stating the well-understood fact that the Mohawks were the keepers of the "Eastern Door" of the Iroquois Confederacy, he continued :
"We [the Mohawks] took the affair in hand and sent messengers to Otsiningo, and there a council was held, and the deputies we sent charged the Delawares to get sober, as we looked on their actions as the actions of drunken men. They [the deputies ] received for answer that they [the Delawares] looked upon themselves as inen, and would acknowl- edge no superiority that any other nation had over them. 'We are men, and determined not to be ruled any longer as women by you ; and we are determined to cut off all the English except those that may make their escape from us in ships. So, say no more to
* See Schoolcraft's "History of the Indian Tribes of the United States," page 132.
i See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 485, 498 and 499.
à. See page 198.
Į See ibid., 521.
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us on that head, lest we cut off your private parts and make women of you, as you have done of us.' The Delawares said further, that in the meantime, though they did not any longer acknowledge the Six Nations as their uncles, yet they would listen to what the Senecas should say to them."*
"Little Abe" then advised that messengers should be sent by the Governor to the Senecas to invite them to a meeting with the Dela- wares and Shawanese at Lancaster or elsewhere. This was done, and messengers were sent to Teedyuscung, also, to inquire as to the reasons for his absence from the Lancaster conference-which was then, on the 21st of May, brought to a close. On May 23d all the Indians (save Tapescawen and Joe Peepy) who had been at the conference set out on foot from "the Indian camp at Lancaster" in charge of Capt. Thomas McKee, and reached Fort Augusta about June 1st. On the 5th of June these Indians, with the exception of the Delawares, left the fort "in canoes, with plenty of flour, rum, etc., sufficient to carry them home."+ The Delawares loitered . around Fort Augusta a few days and then started across the country to Bethlehem, whither Tapescawen and Peepy had gone on horseback from Lancaster-having been selected to con- vey the Governor's message to Teedyuscung.
"The Cherokee Indians who were serving in the [English] army near Fort Loudon and Fort Cumberland were stoutly opposed to any peace with the Delaware Indians. As a consequence, while the confer- ence was in progress at Lancaster, a number of Indian outrages took place within a few miles of that town. This exasperated the people to such an extent that in one instance they brought the mutilated body of a woman whom the Indians had scalped, and left it on the Court House steps, 'a silent witness,' as they said, 'of the fruits of an Indian peace.' These things, with the absence of Teedyuscung, made it im- possible to accomplish anything at Lancaster. Presents were given, and the principles of peace expounded among the Indians. This was done by the Friends, who attended in large numbers. The Governor, writing to the Proprietaries, said : 'I did not expect such a body of Friends would have attended at Lancaster, where the Secretary counted above 100 in the Court House at one of the conferences, and some one told ine there were 140.' " Relative to the activity and in- fluence of the Pennsylvania Quakers at this period Stone has this to say ("Poetry and History of Wyoming," page 119) :
"Efforts for a more general pacification were therefore continued, under the auspices of the Quakers. Indeed, these people, in whatever related to Indian affairs, formed almost an independent branch of the Pennsylvania Government. They enjoyed more of the confidence of the Indians than the officers of the Government did-especially of Tee- dyuscung ; and, in their great solicitude to protect the red man's interests, they not un- frequently embarrassed the designs and proceedings of the Governor."
Under date of May 22, 1757, Edward Shippen, at Lancaster, wrote to Maj. James Burd at Fort Augusta as follows :
"We have had May meetings of the Indians here, to whom valuable presents have been given by the Governor and the Quakers ; but as Teedyuscung and the Indians who were expected along with him were not come, a very handsome part is reserved for them. * * It appears to me that unless the Militia Act be passed we of this borough shall, in less than a month, become the frontiers. The Quakers want to have the choosing of officers. Several Quaker preachers, with all the principal men of that Society, attended the treaty. The Indians assisted this Government to send a message to the Senecas and to Teedyuscung to come down with the Shawanese and the Delawares to hold a treaty
* See page 332. + See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 597.
Į From Walton's "Conrad Weiser and the Indian Policy of Colonial Pennsylvania," p. 349.
¿ See "The Shippen Papers" (Philadelphia, 1855), p. 78.
352
with their brothers the English ; hinting, at the same time, that it would be very prudent in us to give up some points respecting some late purchases, rather than not to bring about an accommodation of matters-especially considering that we either would not or could not fight-and they made no doubt but a peace might, by such means, be made between us. According to their judgments Mr. Jacob Gary, an Indian trader, is em- ployed to go to Diahoga to invite these Indians down."
On June 16, 1757, Sir William Johnson held a general conference with the Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas of the Six Nations, in the course of which he made an earnest and eloquent speech relative to the failure of these tribes to come to the support of the English in their warfare against the French-particularly, since at Onondaga, in the Summer of 1756, he had sharpened the hatchets of the Six Nations and had painted and feathered their warriors for action. "Have not the French hurt us?" said Sir William. "Is not their ax in our heads ? Are they not daily killing and taking our people away ? Have not some of your nations, both to the southward and northward, joined the French against us? Nay, some of you, by your own confession, have gone out by yourselves and struck the English. Have you not now several of our people prisoners amongst you, whom you conceal from me ?" The conduct of Teedyuscung (he being known to be under the influence of the Senecas, as previously mentioned) was then severely censured by Sir William, and the Senecas were charged by him to take the subject in hand and talk to Teedyuscung, and, should they find him in fault, "make him sensible of it."*
About the 4th or 5th of May two Indian messengers, Nathaniel and Zacharias, had been sent from Bethlehem in search of Teedyuscung. They bore a message from the Governor to him, inquiring as to the reasons for his failure to proceed to Lancaster to take part in the pro- jected conference. The messengers not finding the King at Wyoming, where he had been in March and April (see page 348), continued their journey to Tioga, and thence "to Passekawkung,t where they came to Teedyuscung's habitation-having been twenty-six days in performing their journey." Teedyuscung and the inessengers immediately set out for Pennsylvania, and "at a place about one hundred miles above Tioga" they met, on June 10th, Tapescawen and Joe Peepy who had left Beth- lehem on the first of the month to convey to the King the message with which they had been entrusted at Lancaster, as previously mentioned. Tapescawen and Peepy remained with Teedyuscung, while the other two messengers hurried forward to Bethlehem (where they arrived June 18th) with the information that the King and his retinue would set out from Tioga for Easton about the 19th of the month. They also bore this message from the King: "When I arrive at Wyomink I desire you may send four or five horse-loads of provisions there-not by white people, but by Indians."
These messengers, upon their passage through Wyoming (about June 15th), met here the large company of Six Nation and other Indi- ans who had left Fort Augusta on the 5th of June. They, learning that Teedyuscung and his company would arrive in a few days, determined to await here his coming. A day or two later there arrived in the Valley two young men who had escaped from captivity among the Indians- Abraham Miller and George Ebert. The latter, who was only sixteen
* See Schoolcraft's "History of the Indian Tribes of the United States," page 230, and Stone's "Poetry and History of Wyoming," third edition, page 118.
+ Presumably a village in the country of the Senecas, in what is now western New York.
353
years of age, had been an inhabitant of Lower Smithfield Township, in Northampton County, where, with several other persons, he was taken prisoner some six weeks previously by "French" Indians. The prisoners were marched "to a place a day's journey beyond Tioga," from which place Ebert and Miller escaped in the night of May 13th and "the next after110011 came to 'French Margaret's" at Tioga. They stayed with her four weeks-she concealing and supporting them. She then advised them to start home. In three days they arrived at Wyoming by water, and there the Indians directed them the way to Fort Allen ; but they missed their way and came to Fort Hamilton."+
In due time Teedyuscung and his retinnie reached Wyoming. Tarrying liere a few days they set out for Fort Allen on June 29th, accompanied by the majority of the Indians who had come up from Fort Augusta-the remainder of that company continuing their journey tip the river to New York. On July 4th Captain Arndt at Fort Allen wrote to Justice Horsfield at Bethlehemn :
"These are to inform you that Detiuscung is arrived here yesterday evening, and there be at present about 200 Indians with him, with young and old. Detiuscung is in- tended to stay here about five or six days, and in this time he expects 100 Senecas here, and then is intended to go to Easton."
Teedyuscung and his company remained at Fort Allen for some days and then went forward to Easton-numbering in all 54 Indian men, 37 women and 64 children. A few days later there arrived at Easton-via Wyoming and Fort Allen-45 men, 35 women and 39 children of the Seneca (chiefly) and other tribes of the Six Nations. Two of this company were chiefs and principal men formally deputed by the Seneca tribe to attend on this occasion ; and among the other Indians were old King Nutimus and "French Margaret," previously mentioned.
Governor Denny, accompanied by members of the Council, by certain of the Board of Indian Commissioners and by a large number of gentlemen from Philadelphia-among whom the Quakers predominated -arrived in Easton on the 20th of July, and the next day the confer- ence with the Indians was formally begun. Colonel Weiser and Colonel Croghan were in attendance, and there were about 300 Indians present -including the representatives of the "ten nations" in whose behalf Teedyuscung claimed authority. John Pompshire interpreted for Tee- dyuscung. The latter, instigated it is said by some of the Quakers, asked for a clerk, or secretary, considering it to be proper that he should have a copy of the proceedings, to be kept with the council wampum of the Delawares. The Governor declared to Teedyuscung in open con- ference : "No Indian chief before you ever demanded to have a clerk, and none lias ever been appointed for Indians in former treaties. Nay, I have not even nominated one on the part of the Province; therefore I cannot help declaring it against my judgment." However, Joseph Gal- loway and others, of the Board of Commissioners, stated to the Governor : "Teedyuscung appears to us to have an undoubted right as a King and Chief of a nation to have a clerk or secretary to take down minutes of the transactions of this important affair." The Governor then grew angry with the Commissioners, and charged them with bringing all this trouble upon him, saying : "Your presumption on this occasion, either
* See note, paragraph "(I)," page 206.
+ See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VII : 621.
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as Commissioners or private subjects, to receive any complaint or appli- cation from the Indians, and taking upon you to remonstrate in their behalf to me, is illegal, unconstitutional, introductive of the greatest confusion and mischiefs, and the highest invasion of the just rights of the Crown."
Teedyuscung continued his demands for a clerk-declaring that if he could not have one he would leave town. The Governor's defense of the Proprietary privilege to keep all the records was finally overruled, and he said to Teedyuscung : "I am afraid by your showing so little confidence in me and the King's Deputy Agent [Col. George Croghan], that you have hearkened to idle stories or the singing of birds, though you advised me against it. However, to give you fresh proof of my friendship and regard, if you insist upon having a clerk, I shall no longer oppose it." Teedyuscung thanked the Governor and apologized for any rudeness he had shown, desiring that the past inight be forgot- ten ; and with cheerfulness he said, "Let us proceed with all our power in the great work of peace." The King thereupon chose as his clerk Charles Thomson* (then about twenty-eight years of age and Master of
* CHARLES THOMSON, previously referred to on page 101, was born at Maghera, county Derry, Ireland, November 29, 1729, and consequently was in the twenty-eighth year of his life when he became Teedyus- cung's secretary and adviser.
In 1740, his mother being dead, he, one brother and three sisters set sail for America with their father, who died on the voyage. The children were put on shore at New Castle on the Delaware by the Captain of the vessel, with but very slender means of providing for themselves in a strange country. Charles being exceedingly anxious to secure the advantages of an education, his brother, some years later, furnished him, from one school-term to another, with money to pay for his tuition and board. It was his good fortune to enter the school of the Rev. Dr. Alison, a man of high character and much classical learn- ing, who at that time was located at Thunder Hill, Maryland. In the same school, at that period, Thomas Mckean (afterwards Governor of Pennsylvania), George Read, of Delaware, and several others who in later life became distinguished personages, also were educated.
In those times of simplicity books were very scarce, so that a single Greek lexicon served the whole school. One of the boys who had been in Philadelphia brought back to the school a volume of The Spec- tator, which young Thomson read with great delight ; and on being told by the owner of the book that a whole set of The Spectator could be bought in the city at a price which his little store of cash would permit, he set off the next day, without asking leave, walked to Philadelphia, and, having possessed himself of the treasure, returned to the school without delay. At this school he obtained a knowledge of Greek, Latin, mathematics and such other acquirements as enabled him, while still a very young man, to occupy with credit the position of Principal of the Friends' Academy at New Castle, previously mentioned. There he remained for some time, when he was selected to fill the more important position of Principal of the Friends' Public School, located on Fourth Street, below Chestnut, Philadelphia.
Owing to his relations with Teedyuscung he became very much interested in Indian affairs. He gained the confidence of the Indians, was admitted to their councils and "obliged to enter deep into their politics and investigate their claims." He was, in fact, adopted into the Delaware nation about the year 1758 and given the name of Wegh-wu-law-mo-end ("The Man of Truth"). He took minutes in short- hand of various conference proceedings, and these were so accurate as to be preferred by the Board of Indian Commissioners to the official records, and so just to the Indians as to win their profound gratitude.
After teaching school for a number of years Charles Thomson was married to a daughter of James Mather, of Chester, Pennsylvania, and went into business in Philadelphia. His wife dying a few years later, he was married a second time September 1, 1774, to Hannah, daughter of Richard Harrison of Merion (in what is now Montgomery County, Pennsylvania), and granddaughter of Isaac Norris, Sr., mentioned on page 262.
Charles Thomson's political principles were early of a most republican cast, and it is said that he began the opposition to the Stamp Act in Pennsylvania. On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress met in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, and was organized by the choice of Peyton Randolph of Virginia for President, and Charles Thomson, not a member, for Secretary. Many years later Mr. Thom- son gave the following account of his induction into this office. (See Hazard's Register of Pennsylvania, XI : 408.) "I was married to my second wife on a Thursday. On the next Monday I came to town to pay iny respects to my wife's aunt, and the family. As I aliglited in Chestnut Street the door-keeper of Congress (then just met) accosted me with a message from them requesting my presence. Surprised at this, and not able to divine why I was wanted, I, however, bade my servant put up the horses, and followed the messenger to the Carpenters' Hall and entered Congress. Here was indeed an august assembly ! Deep thought and solemn anxiety were observable in their countenances ! I walked up the aisle, and standing opposite to the President I bowed and told him I awaited his pleasure. He replied : 'Congress desires the favor of you, sir, to take their minutes.' I bowed in acquiescence, and took my seat at the desk. After a short silence Patrick Henry arose to speak. I did not then know him. He was dressed in a suit of parson's grey, and from his appearance I took him for a Presbyterian clergyman, used to haranguing the people. He observed that we were here met at a time and on an occasion of great difficulty and dis- tress ; that our circumstances were like those of a man in deep embarrassment and trouble, who had called his friends together to devise what was best to be done for his relief-one would propose one thing and another a different one, while perhaps a third would think of something better suited to his unhappy circumstances, which he would embrace and think no more of the rejected schemes, with which he would have nothing to do. I thought that this was very good instruction to me with respect to taking the minutes. What Congress adopted, I committed to writing ; with what they rejected I had nothing further to do. But even this method led to some squabbles with the members, who were desirous of liav- ing their speeches and resolutions-however put to rest by the majority-still preserved upon the minutes."
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