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 60
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The next day (May 4, 1758) the Governor addressed to Messrs. Jolin Hughes, Edward Shippen, James Galbraith and Francis Tomlin the following communicationt :
"GENTLEMEN : Teedyuscung having demanded the performance of the engage- mients made by this Government in building houses, clearing ground and making some other improvements at Wyoming, and having fixed the time for doing it to be within three weeks after this date, and the Assembly having very much approved of my inten-
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 101.
+ See "The Shippen Papers," page 117.
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tion to employ the gentlemen already commissionated, and recommended it to me to use the utmost despatch in forwarding this work, I make you acquainted therewith, and desire you would once more undertake the journey to Wyoming and superintend the finishing of the buildings and other works to be done there in consequence of my promises.
"I must particularly desire of Mr. Hughes, as he is in town and one of the Pro- vincial Commissioners, to settle everything with them [the Provincial Indian Commis- sioners] respecting the number of carpenters and workmen, as well as the sums of money necessary to be engaged and provided for this service ; and further, that he will confer witlr Teedyuscung, and fix with him such matters as he shall think proper should be pre- viously agreed upon, and to give notice thereof to the other Commissioners, that they may conform thereto, so as not to miss of one another, or to suffer anything necessary for the work to be left behind. I understand that the provisions for the Commissioners and their company must be sent from Fort Augusta, together with the tools and many other things which were left there. The Commissioners who go by Augusta will take them with then. And if no Commissioners go by the way of Fort Augusta, they are nevertheless to give directions that the provisions be sent in bateaux to Wyoming ; and the command- ing officer at that fort is hereby ordered to yield obedience to the directions of the Com- missioners, and send them up with a proper escort, to consist of an officer and twenty 111en, which is to return to the garrison immediately on delivering the provisions, etc., to the Commissioners at Wyoming.
"You are to act agreeable to my commission of the 5th day of October last. If it shall happen that only one Commissioner can attend, the person attending is hereby invested with the same power and authority as if the whole were present. * If Mr. * Hughes should choose to go by way of Fort Allen, and a convoy be wanted for him and his attendants, Captain Arndt, or the officer commanding there, is hereby ordered to send along with them fifteen or twenty of his men, with an officer, for a guard-who are to conduct theni to Wyoming, make no stay there, and return forthwith to the Governor. I recommend it to you to take care that everything be done in the premises that the Government stands engaged to do, as far as in your power. You will consult the Indi- ans in the course of the work, and act to their satisfaction."
On the 5th of May, Teedynscung being still in Philadelphia, he was notified by the Governor that all that he had requested would "be complied with, and with the utmost despatch." He thereupon hastened to Bethlehem, and there, says Reichel, "when the swelling of maple buds and the whitening of the shad-bush on the river's bank betokened the advent of Spring, there were busy preparations going on in 'Tee- dyuscung's company over the water' for their long-expected removal to the Indian Eldorado on the flats of the Winding River. It was the 16th of corn-planting month [May], the month called Tauwinipen, when the Delaware King, his Queen, his counselors and his warriors, led by the Commissioners, took up the line of march for Fort Allen ; beyond there to strike the Indian trail that led over the mountains to Wyoming Valley. And on the going out of these spirits 'The Crown'* was swept and garnished, and Ephraimn Colver, the publican, had rest."
Shortly before this Conrad Weiser reported to Governor Denny that somne Indians from the Susquehanna had just informed him "that a Dela- ware family that came from Tioga had settled on Susquehanna River between Wyoming and Fort Augusta, and more would soon follow ; but they would not be commanded by Teedyuscung, who is reported as one that wants to make Englishmen of the Indians, and that his way of acting was disagreeable to the Indians about Tioga. Further, that the Indians about Tioga are well affected to the English, and in no danger of breaking with them again."
Edward Shippen and James Galbraith would not consent to go to Wyoming again as Commissioners, and Francis Tomlin was unable to go. Therefore the Governor commissioned John Hughes and Henry Pawling (previously mentioned in connection with this business) to pro- ceed with the proposed work without delay. These gentlemen joined
* See page 357.
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each other at Bethlehem on Monday, May 15th, and the next day set out for Wyoming, accompanied by their workmen and escorted by Tee- dyuseung and upwards of one hundred Indians-men and women, old and young, and a numerous brood of children. Under date of June 7, 1758, Mr. Hughes made the following report to Governor Denny* :
"At Bethlehem I met my companion Mr. Pawling, and the next day [May 16tli] we marched with between fifty and sixty carpenters, masons and laborers. After a very fatiguing journey we arrived at Wyoming on the 22d, and the next day we put the hands to work. As the bateaux did not arrive from Fort Augusta at the time appointed, we were brought to a very short allowance in provisions, etc. For several days we had no bread at all. We kept the business going forward as well as we could until the 27tli [of May], when Joseph Croker, one of our masons, was killed and scalped by six of the enemy Indians.+ This misfortune inade our people very uneasy. The bateaux arrived the next day with provisions, which enabled us to carry on the work until we finished ten (10) houses, mostly 20 x 14 feet in the clear, and one of them [presumably for the King] 24 x 16 feet, of squared logs and dovetailed. We also ploughed some ground for them to plant in, and we split some rails to fence it. After which they [the Indians] thought it . proper to let us know that as it was late in the season, and the grass was grown very high, we might return [home] until a more favorable opportunity-which we complied with, leaving there Friday, June 2d, and getting safe home Tuesday evening, June 6th."
The houses thus erected-which included those begun in Noveill- ber, 1757-stood in the locality previously described (see page 363), and the expense of erecting them amounted to 1,800 Spanish milled dollars. This settlement was thenceforth known as the town, or village, of Wyo- ming-the site of the old Shawanese village of Wyoming having been deserted since the Spring of 1756, when Paxinosa and his followers removed thence to the vicinity of Tioga, as previously mentioned.
At Philadelphia, June 5, 1758, the Provincial Council was sum- mnoned by the Governor to consider proper messages to be forthwith sent to the Senecas and to the Indians on the Susquehanna, who had "grown dissatisfied and were for leaving their habitations, especially our old friend Paxinosa and his family and friends." It had been discovered by the Government that the cause of this sudden disaffection among the Susquehanna Indians was due to the presence in the Province of the Cherokees from the South. "The men of Cumberland County, Penn- sylvania, joining with Virginia and Mr. Atkin, the Southern Superin- tendent of Indian Affairs for the Crown, had secured the alliance of the Cherokees and other southern Indians. Their presence at Carlisle and Cumberland excited the Six Nations and the Delawares. If their old enemies were friends to the English, they, the northern Indians, would go over to the French." Some of the Susquehanna Indians asserted that they had heard that "the Cherokees were sent for by their brethren, the English, to cut them all off the Susquehanna ; and that the English were going to settle and build a fort at Wyoming."
This information was brought by Benjamin, a Mohegan, to Bethile- hem on May 29th. He lived near Bethlehem, but five weeks previously had received word from his sister-a widow with three children, who lived in the Nanticoke town at Otsiningo (see note, page 219)-that he should fetch her and her children to their friends at Bethlehem. He accordingly set off. From Bethlehem to Wyoming he saw no Indians, although he heard some at a little distance from him, "but had no mind to show himself unto them." Near Tioga [at Seekaughkunt] he found Paxinosa with all his family, including his sons-in-law, and Paxinosa
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 134.
+ So far as we now know this was the first death of a white man-from either a natural or any other cause-to occur in Wyoming Valley. The Indians who committed this murder were western Shawanese. (See page 374.)
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told Benjamin that all the Indians were in a hurry to remove from the Susquehanna because they had heard that the English had very bad designs against the Indians, and that those who did not fly froin the Susquehanna would be murdered. Paxinosa said that he was going with his family to his land at the Ohio, where he was born. They had heard that the English would settle Wyoming under the pretense that it would be for the good of the Indians; but their intentions were quite the contrary, for they would build a fort there and take the land from the Indians. Benjamin said that he had tried to pacify Paxinosa, and had told him what Teedyuscung had accomplished with the Govern- inent ; "but Paxinosa was quite deaf to hear anything in favor of the English, saying that they pretend well and mean ill." It seems that Paxinosa had been invited to attend a meeting of the Great Council at Onondaga, at which it would be determined what side the Indians should take ; but as he had resolved to go to the Ohio he did not go to Onondaga. Paxinosa and his eldest son tried to persuade Benjamin to go with them to the Ohio.
On his way back to Bethlehem Benjamin saw in the Susquehanna, about twelve miles above Wyoming, four canoes and two floats with whichi strange Indians had crossed the river. Later he saw the Indians themselves. At Wyoming Benjamin did not go near the place where the Commissioners and their party were engaged in erecting the houses for Teedyuscung and his people. But not far from there he inet the King, "with whom he sat down and related all that he had seen and heard at Diahoga and Ceningo, and on his way ; at which Teedyuscung seemed quite amazed-particularly that the Maquas [Mohawks] did now act in such a manner."*
In pursuance of plans adopted at the meeting of the Council held on June 5th, as previously noted, messages were duly prepared by Gov- ernor Denny and Brigadier General Forbes, jointly, addressed (1) "To Teedyuscung and the Indians at Wyoming," and (2) "To the Susque- hanna Indians." These messages related to the coming into Pennsyl- vania of the Cherokees (some of whom were just then in Philadelphia), and to the building of the houses at Wyoming for Teedyuscung and his band. Accompanying the messages were various belts and strings of wampum, to be delivered, according to Indian custom, to those to whom the messages were addressed. The message to Teedyuscung was, in part, as followst :
"We are informed that the Indians about Diahoga and Otsiningo are very uneasy with respect to two matters. (1) That great numbers of Cherokee and other southern Indians should come so far north. (2) That we have assisted you in settling at Wyo- ming. The Cherokees have come from their country on invitation of the King and the southern Provinces to help the English General in the present expedition against the French. There is now in this city a deputation of Cherokees on their way with messages to the Six Nations ; and they have likewise a particular message to you and the Dela- wares. Respecting the building of the houses at Wyoming-you are so well acquainted with our motives and good intentions that you are quite able to answer for this measure to the Six Nations ; and we desire you to take all possible care to set this matter in a true light everywhere, as it is done entirely at your request and for the good of your Indians.
"As the way to Wyoming is now open, and we are convinced of your sincerity in doing us all the service in your power, we now send you some white mien with these messages, and we depend on your protecting and seeing them safely conducted through the Indian country. We know that the Senecas are your particular friends .; We would, therefore, have you send this belt to them as an invitation to send some of their chief
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 126.
# See page 332.
+ See ibid., 129.
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men to confer with us about these matters. We hear there are many parties of Indians scattered up and down in the woods near Wyoming. We desire you will endeavor to call them together and find out what errand they have come upon."
Charles Thomson (see page 354) and Christian Frederick Post (see page 216) were selected as messengers for the Government, and, having accomplished their mission as best they could, they made a full report* thereon about the 17th of June. The most important parts of the report here follow :
"On Wednesday, June 7, 1758, having received the messages for the Indians, and instructions from the Governor, we set out [from Philadelphia] for Wyoming. Next day we reached Betlilehen, having engaged on the road Moses Tatemny and Isaac Still to accompany us. From Bethlehem we took three other Indians, and on Friday arrived at Fort Allen. As we had been informed on the road of some bad news sent to the Gov- ernor by the Captain at Fort Allen, we inquired the particulars, and were informed that on Tuesday last two Indians came to the fort express from Teedyuscung at Wyomink, to let them know that on Sunday last were seen a party of enemy Indians, about seventy- eiglit in number, directing their course towards the Minisinks. This discouraged our Indian companions, and as they had been all along against our going into the Indian country, this made them much more averse to it; whereupon we called them together next morning and made them acquainted with the purport of our messages and the necessity of our going. With this they were satisfied, and it was concluded we should go; and having settled every thing regarding the way and manner we should travel we left Fort Allen about tweive o'clock. *
"On Sunday morning [June 11th ] we set forward pretty early, and by twelve o'clock reached the Nescopeck Mountains, t within twelve or fifteen miles of Wyomink. Here we met twelve Indians traveling down to Bethlehem. They left Wyomink the day before, and had been six days from Chenango [Otsiningo], a town of the Nanticokes on Susquehanna. There was one Nanticoke-a son of Capt. [Robert} White ;- one Monsey Captain, one Delaware, four Mohicans and two squaws. Upon meeting with them we spoke and inquired the news, and from several questions asked we learned that Teedyus- cung was well and at Wyomink; that all was quiet among the Nanticokes; that their principal men were at the Council at Onondaga which was not yet broke up; that Pax- inosa was still at Seekauglıkunt, but was preparing to go somewhere.
"Being informed of our going to Wyomink with good news to all the Indians they told us they thought it was by no means safe for us to proceed-that strange Indians were thick in the woods about Wyomink; that a party was seen but four days before whose language none of the Delawares understood, nor did they know of what nation they were. This alarmed our Indians. They pressed us to turn back with this company and make all haste to Fort Allen, and two of them would go and invite Teedyuscung to come to us there. This we objected against on account of losing time, and proposed following what had been at first agreed upon; that was, to go forward to the Wyomink Hills, within seven or eight miles of the place, and there wait till two of the company went forward and informed Teedyuscung of our coming, and learned of him whether it would be safe to go to the town. The Indians we met thought it dangerous to proceed any farther, as they had seen fresh tracks crossing the path in two or three places between this and the town, and at one place not half a mile from where we then were. Upon this it was proposed to go back to the east side of the hill and there lodge till two of our Indians went and invited Teedyuscung to come and meet us; and the friendly Indians we met agreed to stay with us till he came up. From further conversation with one of the company, after we had been some time together, we were informed that 200 of the Six Nations had set out with a resolution to go to war against the Englishi, and that he and his company had seen sixty of them; none of his company understood their language, but they inade signs that they were going against the Minisinks.
Next day [June 12th], between eleven and twelve o'clock, Teedyuscung, with Tapescawen, Captain Augustus, § Sam Evans, Kelkapugli, or Isaac, a Captain of the Mon- seys, Welawamick, or Moses, | a Mohegan, Gootameek, or Moses, Jr. (mentioned on page 315), and David came to us. At first we expostulated with Teedvuscung about the road being slut, and told him that, though we were come with good words to all the Indians, we could not go to his town to deliver them. He said it was not his fault. We put him in mind that the road had been opened by a belt of wampum from Wyomink to us, and that it was his business to keep it open fromn liis town to Fort Allen, as we kept it open from Fort Allen to Easton or Philadelphia. We further took notice that it was the custom of all nations to suffer messengers of peace to go backwards and forwards safe and unmolested, and that unless this was practised two nations once at war could
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 132, and Hazard's Register of Pennsylvania, VIII : 145-148.
+ The range of mountains shown-in the far background at the right-in the picture facing page 236.
See page 219. ¿ Teedyuscung's brother-in-law, George Rex, mentioned on page 338.
11 Without doubt the Moses mentioned on page 312.
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never be at peace again. To this Teedyuscung replied that what we said was right, but that the Six Nations and not he had blocked up this road; that 200 of them had gone to war in different parties; that they had passed through several towns on the Susquehanna; that at these towns the Delawares endeavored as much as in them lay to dissuade them from going to war against the English, but they would not hear them; that these 200 were chiefly of the Seneca nation and from three towns that lay near the French. They said they had heard the words Teedyuscung had sent them, but they were now out and would not turn back, but would strike the English this one time more. * * * From one of these parties a few Shawanese, upon hearing that the English were building a fort at Wyomink, went down to see whether it was so, and these were they that killed the young man when the workmen were there .*
"Teedyuscung further told us that a report had prevailed among the Indians up the Susquehanna and through the Seneca country and along the Allegheny that the English were building a fort at Wyomink with 800 men; that this was confirmed by the Shaw- anese party that had been down. At this it was proposed that some one should go and know for certain whether it was really so, and boldly ask the English what they meant. Though this seemed dangerous, yet one Willemeghikinkt (James)-a Wanamie, who lives in a town of the Senecas near the French fort at Niagara, and is a Captain on the Ohio under Tessawhenund, the Chief of all the Delawares on the Allegheny-offered to go, though it should cost him his life. Not many days after the English left Wyomink [June 2d] he came there and was informed of the true state of affairs, and three days ago [June 9th] left there in order to return and inform the Indians thereof. ** *
"After dinner we told Teedyuscung our orders were to deliver our message at Wyo- mink; that being dissuaded from going farther we had stopped here and sent to desire him to come to us, and now he was come we desired to know what we should do. He said he was glad we did not come to him; that he had seen fresh tracks as he came along, and he thought it best we should deliver the messages here. Whereupon we sat down, and, taking out the belts and strings, delivered the messages distinctly. After they had been read and interpreted once, in order to impress them deeper in his mind we gave him the substance of each belt and string in other words, and then entered into conversa- tion on every part. By this means, everything being repeated again, he seemed to com- prehend every part and to be much pleased with the whole. With respect to the Chero- kees he said, if the messenger should recover and be inclined to see him he might come by the way of Bethlehem, and from thence some Indians would conduct him and his company safe up to Wyomink. On the belt to remove the uneasiness respecting the settlement of Wyomink, he said he hoped that was already removed, or would be upon the return of Willemeghikink and his company, which consisted of thirty men from sev- eral towns of the Six Nations. * As to calling together the parties about Wyomink and learning their business he did not know how that could be done, as neither he nor any of his people understood the language of some of the parties; but that he would do what he could in the matter.
"We then told him * * that our orders were, after we had delivered the mes- sages to him and his people at Wyomink, to proceed farther with the messengers Teedy- uscung should send along, and carry these belts to the other nations. He said it had often been asked by the Senecas why none of the English accompanied the messages sent to them. We told him there would hereafter be no occasion for such a question- we were now ready to go, and would set out with those he sent along as soon as he pleased. On this he was silent. We then told him if he had any doubts he might take time to consider the matter, and that we would proceed with him to Wyomink and lodge there over night. After nmusing some time he said he thought we could by no means proceed to the Seneca country that way, as many war parties were out. * * He said before we could go with safety a road should be opened. We again mentioned our going up to Wyomink and staying there till his messenger came in, or at least over night. Whereupon, after consulting his council, he took out some strings of wampum, and by two forbade us to go any farther, for fear of some mischief befalling us.
"He [Teedyuscung] said: 'Brother, the Governor-I am glad to see your messen- gers in the woods, and am glad to hear and receive such great and good words here in the wild bushes. * * When I hear of anything you shall hear it. This makes me tell your messengers to go back from this place, and not to go forward. What makes me not invite your messengers to my house is that I don't yet know the design of these Indians that lie squatting in the bushes; and if any ill should befall these messengers, that would darken the heavens and make great clouds between us. * * Now, Brother, when I live here I am very uneasy; even at night I cannot enjoy rest. I see a great deal of mis- chief done, and some who have done the mischief came past my door. Now I am afraid if your people follow them, and come as far as where I live and find me, they will think it was I did it, and so fall upon me. The Indians have sent to see what was doing at Wiomink, and they have sent me word that a great number of them will be with me in eleven days, and many of those all this Summer-all the Wanamies and Mohegans and many others having resolved to come and live with me. Now, Brother, I desire to know what I shall do, for I have no provisions for them. I beg you would help me, and if you
* See page 371.
+ See pages 365 and 377.
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will give me any assistance of that sort I desire I may have it from Shamokin, not from Fort Allen. My young men can soon go down the river in canoes and fetch it from Shamokin, but the journey to Fort Allen is very difficult. I desire I may have some Indian corn with the flonr. I am likewise in want of powder and shot. I would cheer- fully go with your messages, which are good, but every day I expect messages from different parts. However, I will send by some trusty persons, and I assure you the Senecas' belt shall be delivered to the chief man in eight days.'
"We next inquired how the chief man of the Senecas was affected to the English. He said the chief man was our friend. * * We next inquired of Teedyuscung what he had heard of the prisoners-whether we might hope to see thein soon returned. He told us that a few days ago one Nenachechunt, a Chief of one of the towns on the Allegheny, had come to him at Wyomink to know whether the English were willing to include him in the peace, and whether Teedyuscung desired the prisoners should be returned. And, being assured of the truth of both these articles, he said there were a good inany prison- ers in his town, and he would take care they should be restored; and that he and his people would come down and settle with Teedyuscung at Wyomink.
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