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 61
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"But from what we learned from the Indians the case of the prisoners is this: All that are taken are looked upon by the Indians as the private property of the captors, and are either given away to those families who have lost any men in the war, or are sold to others as we sell slaves. And many of those that have been taken, we are informed, have been sold and bought several times. Now, as the Indians have no public fund to redeem them out of the hands of private persons, and as we have none of their people prisoners to exchange for them, it will be next to impossible to procure the return of the prisoners, without offering a price for them and redeeming them ourselves. * *
"As it now grew late, and it was considered we could not go forward, we thought it best to return back part of the way, especially as our provisions began to grow scarce and there was no pasture for the horses in the place we now were. * * Tuesday [June 13th] in the afternoon we arrived at Fort Allen, the prospect of which was hid from 11s, by bushes growing on the bank of the river, till we came just upon it. *
* At Mr. Horsfield's [in Bethlehem] we met one Captain Neilson of the Provincials, who, after expressing himself with great bitterness against Teedyuscung, declared that if he met him or any of his people in any of the courses he should be ordered to take, let tlient come on what occasion or with what pretense soever, he would kill them without asking any questions. He was also inquisitive to know in how many days a party of stout, active inen could go to Wyomink, and expressed himself as if he had a desire to send out a party to destroy that town. * * We have only to add that all the Indians are removed from Tioga and Owego; that Paxinosa, with about one hundred men, lives yet at Seekaughkunt; that the Nanticoke tribe has but about fifty fighting men, and that they live chiefly at Chenango."
With reference to the Cherokees who were in Philadelphia at this time-as stated in the message borne to Teedyuscung by Messrs. Thom- son and Post-it may be said : They composed a deputation charged by their nation with the duty of delivering certain messages to Teedy- uscung and his people and to the Six Nations. Upon the arrival of this deputation in Philadelphia their chief had been taken ill, and in consequence the party was detained in the city. When the chief recov- ered he decided that he and his companions would go on to the "Long House" of the Six Nations by way of New York City and Albany. This they did, and in consequence it was necessary to procure the services of a trustworthy messenger to carry from Philadelphia to Wyoming the message intended for the Delawares. Christian Fred- erick Post was selected by Governor Denny to perform this service.
This message from the Cherokees to the Delawares was signed by two of the principal chiefs of that nation, and was, in part, as follows *:
"NEPHEWS-We have to acquaint you that we have received a tomahawk from our elder brother, the English, and are going along with them to the war against the French and the Indians that are his allies. We are going to war along with our brother, the English, but as for you, you need not be uneasy or apprehensive of our doing you any mischief, for we love you as ourselves, from the heart, and will not hurt you; for we look upon you as ourselves. * * * Nephews, listen to us. We do not desire you should go to war at all. Formerly you used to wear a petticoat, and did not use to go to war; and we do not now desire you to go to war. You may stay at home, and we will fight for you. We are resolved to go to war along with our brother, the English, in order that you need not go to war.
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records, " VIII : 135.
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"Nephews, we are sorry there should have been a kind of shyness between us and you for a good while past. We suppose other Indians may envy our peace, friendship and good understanding, and tell strange stories; but we desire you, our nephews, may not give credit to such. We earnestly request that you would come and see us the ensu- ing Spring, at some of our towns, that we may have the opportunity of conversing more freely. * You know, or can have a clear guess, how many of your country people are living on the Ohio among the French. We earnestly desire you would endeavor to bring theni away, for the tomahawk we have received from our elder brother, is exceedingly sharp." **
Post set out from Philadelphia on June 21, 1758, and in the evening of the following day arrived at Bethlehem. There he found the In- dians who, earlier in the month, had accompanied himself and Charles Thomson from Nescopeck Mountain to Bethlehem. The next morning (June 23d) Post and these Indians proceeded to Fort Allen, and thence they continued their journey on Sunday the 25th. Post's diary of this journey is printed in "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 138-143, and is, in part, as follows:
"June 26 .- Lodged at night on a hill beyond Nescopeck River. There was a vio- lent gust of rain, and we had no other cover over us but the heavens, and all that fell from thence came upon us. June 27 .- Came to the town [Wyoming] on this [the south- east ] side of the river about two o'clock in the afternoon. My Indian companions called out," on which a great number of Indians came out of their houses-many with painted faces, and upwards of forty strangers of different tribes, some of whom I knew. I observe that they are upon their guard, and have scouts out. We went to Teedyuscung's house, which was as full as it could hold. He told me that some of their people were gone to Shamokin a little before our arrival. I met there a captive woman, Cobus Decker's daughter, from the Jerseys, near Minisink; and an Indian trader, Lawrence Bork of Lancaster County, who has been with them the whole time of the war.
"When we had been awhile there Teedyuscung called the men together. First I told them, in general, the intents of my coming, and told Teedyuscung my instructions and gave him, with a string of wampum, the Governor's answer [to the message carried by Thomson and Post from Teedyuscung to the Governor]-with which they all seemed well pleased. I then read to them the Cherokees' speech and repeated it three times, that they might get the full meaning of it. Augustus interpreted it, and they were well pleased and satisfied and very attentive to the words which they heard, and returned many thanks for the same. I then delivered the belt. Then Teedyuscung showed me two chiefs and several other Indians from Allegheny, who purposed to go down to Phila- delphia; but the idle reports which they had all along heard had made them suspicious and afraid. I told them I was very glad to see them, and as I had been twice married amongst them I had a great love towards their nation, and would speak very free with them, and they might believe me.
"After we had discoursed awhile together they shook hands with me and told me: 'Brother, we are very glad to see you, and have a long time wished to see some of the inhabitants of Pennsylvania with whom we, ourselves, could speak; for we cannot believe all that we hear, and know not what is true and what is false.' Then the rest of the people, women and children, came to see me, and welcomed me to their town. But, unhappily, a woman had bought five gallons of rum of somebody in Easton (I did not know his name, but supposed he was a Jew), with which most of them got drunk. Two beat their wives almost to death, and I know that those who suffer such abuse must sigh and groan to God against those who sell them the liquor.
"[Wyoming ] June 28 .- The Indians from Allegheny came early to visit me; invited me to their fire, and to breakfast with them on bear's meat and turkey. At breakfast they asked me many questions, which I gave them a true answer to. They said that the Indians, through the many idle reports they had heard from time to time, were grown suspicious of the English, and could not believe that they would make peace with them; and hence they were resolved to stay with the French. That they were sorry that they had gone to war against the English, and wished often to have seen some messengers from the Government with whom they could have spoken, for then they would have long left off the war against them. They complained strongly that they never had heard any satisfactory account of the peace made at Easton [in July and August, 1757], nor of any treaties that had been held; nor had they received any belts till now lately. They all passed by the Mohawks, but did not go into any of their towns. I assured them the English were not in fault, for they had often sent the messages, belts and invitations to them, that they might come down and speak together.
* "According to the rules of Indian politeness you must never go into a town without sending a pre- vious message to denote your arrival; or, standing at a distance from the town and hallooing, till somne come out to conduct you in. Otherwise you are thought as rude as white men."-"Early Western Travels," I : 193.
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"Kutaikund, one of their chiefs, who lives this side the Allegheny, said that he was very old, but those two who are just now come from Allegheny (pointing to Kekeuscung* and Pisquetoment ) wish to know the truth of affairs. Then, lifting up his hands to Heaven, he wished that God would have mercy upon them and help them, and bring them and the English together again and establish an everlasting ground and foundation for peace between them. He wished further that God would move the Gov- ernor's and people's hearts towards them in love, peace and union. He said further that it would be well if the Governor sent somebody with then at their return home, for it would be of great consequence to them who live above Allegheny to hear the Governor's mind from their own mouths. * *
"June 29 .- We set off from Wyoming, in all about fifty, and came that day about twenty miles. June 30 .- About eight miles the other side of Fort Allen we met with the Indian messenger with a message from the Governor of the Jerseys. They all sat down by their fires, and the messenger acquainted them with his message. At night we arrived at Fort Allen."
In view of the information brought by Post it was deemed advis- able by the Government to send him on an embassy to the Delawares in western Pennsylvania; preliminary to which, however, it was con- sidered necessary to hold a conference with Teedyuscung and the chiefs from the Alleglieny then at Wyoming. They were accordingly still- moned to Philadelphia, and under date of July 5th the Governor issued the following proclamation, or "advertisement" !:
"Whereas, a number of friendly Indians, conducted by Teedyuscung the Delaware chief, are now on their way to this city, in order to hold a treaty with the Government; and it is absolutely necessary for the well doing and despatch of business that they be debarred from drinking spirituous liquors-Therefore, all persons, other than such as are appointed to take care of the Indians, are strictly enjoined and prohibited from sell- ing or giving any spirituous liquors to these Indians."
The conference with Teedyuscung and other chiefs having been held it was arranged that Post should set out from Philadelphia with- out delay, accompanied by Willamegicken and Pisquetomen, previously mentioned, and certain other Indians. On July 15th Post proceeded to Germantown, where he found all the Indians drunk. The following paragraphs, descriptive of Post's experiences at this time, are from his journal. §
"July 16, 1758 .- This day I waited for the said Willamegicken till near noon, and when he came, being very drunk, he could proceed no farther, so that I left hini and went to Bethlehem. * * July 19 .- With much difficulty I persuaded the Indians to leave Bethlehem. 20th .- Arrived at Fort Allen. 21st .- I called iny company together to know if we should proceed. They complained they were sick, and must rest that day. This day I think Teedyuscung laid many obstacles in my way, and was very much against my proceeding. He said he was afraid I should never return, and that the Indians would kill me. About dinner time two Indians arrived from Wyoming with an account that Teedyuscung's son, Hans Jacob, | was returned, and brought news from the French and Allegheny Indians. Teedyuscung then called a council, and proposed that I should go only to Wyoming and return to Philadelphia with the message his son had brought. I made answer that it was too late. * 22d .- I desired my compan- ions to prepare to set out, upon which Teedyuscung called them all together in the fort
and protested against my going.
His reasons were that he was afraid the Indians would kill me or the French get me. *
* 'It is plain,' said I, 'that the French have a public road to your towns, yet you will not let your own flesh and blood, the English, come near them, which is very hard; and if that be the case, the French must be your masters.' Immediately after I had spoken thus three rose up and offered to go with me the near- est way."
Post, accompanied by Pisquetomen and the other Indians, extended his journey to Kuskuskis, previously mentioned, then the home of King
* KEKEUSCUNG, whose name signifies "The Healer," was accounted a great warrior, and in earlier years had often joined the Six Nations in their wars against the Cherokees.
+ PISQUETOMEN was a Delaware captain and counselor of some note who lived on the Allegheny River; or, perhaps, at Kuskuskis, an important center for Delaware Indians, on the Mahoning Branch of Beaver River, in what is now Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Pisquetomen accompanied Post on his embassy to the western Delawares in July, 1758, and returned with him. He again accompanied Post on his embassy to the same Indians in October, 1758, after the treaty at Easton.
# See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, III : 437.
¿ See "Early Western Travels, " I : 185. 11 Capt. John Jacob, who had been despatched by Teedynscung in April to the Delawares and others on the Allegheny. See page 368.
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Beaver (see page 326). The latter was informed by Post that Teedyus- cung had said that he had "turned the hatchet against the French by advice of the Allegheny Indians." This information seemed to annoy King Beaver, and the next day he and his captains called on Post privately and wanted to hear what Teedyuscung had said about them. "I read to them," states Post in his journal, "what Teedyuscung had said, and told them (as Teedyuscung had said he would speak so loud that all at Allegheny and beyond should hear it) I would conceal nothing from them. They said they never sent any such advice, as mentioned, to Teedyuscung, nor ever sent a message at all to the Government. *% * In the afternoon the Indian kings and cap- tains desired mne to read them the writings that I had. First I read part of the Easton treaty to them, but they presently stopped me and would not hear it. I then began with the Articles of Peace made with the Indians there, and they stopped me again and said they had nothing to say to any treaty or league of peace made at Easton, nor had they anything to do with Teedyuscung. * * I then showed them the belts and strings from the Governor, and they again told me to lay aside Teedyuscung and the peace made by him, for that they had nothing to do with it." Evidently Teedyuscung had been enlarging upon his own importance, and to this end giving unwarrantable information, when, in March, 1758 (see page 366), he reported to the Government what he had been accomplishing.
While Post was performing his important work in the Ohio region Teedyuscung was urging the Senecas and some of the other Six Nations and the Minisinks to consent to send deputies to a great peace confer- ence. As a result of Teedyuscung's efforts there arrived at Wyoming in the latter part of July, 1758, five Minisink chiefs and Eyendeegen, or "John Hudson,"* a Seneca chief. Having spent several days with Teedyuscung they proceeded onward, accompanied by Capt. John Jacob and Sam Evans-Teedyuscung's son and half-brother, respectively. On August 3d this party arrived in Philadelphia, and there arrangements were made for holding a treaty at Easton. It was understood that this treaty was to be held, chiefly, for the adjustment of land boundaries, and for the purpose of extending and brightening the Chain of Friend- ship-not only between the Indians themselves, but between their nations collectively and the whites.
September 12, 1758, Governor Denny informed the Assembly that a general meeting of Indians in conference had been agreed upon, to take place at Easton ; that he had just received intelligence that many Indians had already arrived on the frontiers-128 having reached Fort Allen, where they intended to remain till the opening of the conference ; that the Governor of the Jerseys had agreed to attend, and that Sir Wil- liam Johnson and the Governors of New York, Maryland and Virginia had been invited to be present. The Assembly formally approved the project and appointed a committee of eight of its members to attend the conference. By the middle of September Teedyuscung and a number of Indians from Wyoming had arrived in Easton, where they proceeded to make themselves at home while waiting for the coming off of the int- portant event which had brought them thither. On September 25th, at a meeting of the Provincial Council in Philadelphia, there was read a
* See foot-note, paragraph "(i)", page 207.
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letter from Conrad Weiser "giving an account of the ill behavior of Teedyuscung and the Indians at Easton." Whereupon it was resolved that the Rev. Richard Peters (Provincial Secretary) be requested to go there immediately to keep the Indians in order. It was also ordered that there be prepared and printed a proclamation prohibiting the sale of rim to the Indians.
When the conference was formally opened on Sunday, October Stli, there were in Easton in the neighborhood of 500 Indians-males and females, young and old ; there being, according to the official records, some 350 exclusive of those from Wyoming. Among the whites who were present were Governor Denny, members of the Council and of the Assembly, the Commissioners for Indian Affairs in New Jersey, Conrad Weiser, George Croghan, and a large number of Quakers from Philadel- phia. Stone, Miner, Pearce and other writers of Wyoming history have stated that Sir William Johnson, also, was present. He was not, but was represented by Colonel Croghan, one of his Deputies. Governor Bernard of New Jersey joined the conference when it had been in session three days, and demanded that the Mouseys deliver up the captives taken from his Province. All the tribes of the Six Nations took part in the treaty ; but the Mohawks were represented by only one man- Nikes Carigiagtatie, mentioned on page 279, ante-who was accom- panied by his wife and two sons, while the Cayugas were represented by a single chief, K'andt, or Tokahoyon, alias "Last Night." The Senecas were represented by Takeghsatu (mentioned on page 277, ante), "the chief man of all the Senecas," by Sayenqueraghta (mentioned on page 235), "a war captain," by six other chiefs, thirty-seven other men, twenty- eight women and several children. Of the Nanticokes and Conoys, Chief Robert White, thirty-seven men and women and eighteen children were in attendance. Saguhsonyont, alias "Thomas King," a chief of the Oneidas, was the principal man of his tribe present. He lived at Oghwaga, mentioned in the note on page 257. Tuteloes, Chugnuts, Wapings, or Pumptons (from Goshen, New York), Mohegans (with old Abraham from Wyoming at their head), Monseys and, last of all, Tee- dyuscung "with the Unamies" from Wyoming, were the other Indians in attendance. Capt. Andrew Montour interpreted for the Six Nations, and for the Delawares Isaac Still and Moses Tatemy served.
Early in the conference Takeghsatu, the Seneca, who was the principal speaker on the part of the Indians, addressed himself to Gov- ernor Denny and the Pennsylvanians in these words* :
"Brethren-I now speak at the request of Teedyuscung and our cousins, the Dela- wares, living at Wyoming and on the waters of the River Susquehanna. We now remove the hatchet out of your heads that was struck into them by our cousins, the Delawares. It was a French hatchet that they unfortunately made use of, by the instigation of the French. We take it out of your heads and bury it under the ground, where it shall always rest and never be taken up again. Our cousins, the Delawares, have assured us they will never think of war against their brethren, the English, any more, but will employ their thoughts about peace and cultivating friendship with them, and never suffer enmity against them to enter into their minds again."
Two or three days later Nikes, the Mohawk, stood up and, address- ing himself to Governors Denny and Bernard, saidt :
"We thought proper to meet you here to have some discourse about our nephew Teedyuscung. You all know that he gives out that he is a great inan and Chief of ten nations. This is his constant discourse. Now I, on behalf of the Mohawks, say that we do not know he is such a great man. If he is such a great man we desire to know who
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 181.
+ See ibid., 190, 191.
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made hini so. Perhaps you have; and if this be the case, tell us so. It may be the French have made him so. We want to inquire, and know whence his greatness arose."
Takeghsatu, on behalf of the Senecas, spoke next, as follows :
"Bretliren, I for my nation say the same that Nikes has done. I need not repeat it. I say we do not know who has made Teedyuscung this great man over ten nations, and I want to know who made him so."
Then Assarandonquas spoke on behalf of the Onondagas, and said :
"I am here to represent the Onondagas, and I say for them that I never heard before now that Teedyuscung was such a great man ; and much less can I tell who made him so. No such thing was ever said in our town as that Teedyuscung was such a great man."
Then, in the same strain, spoke Thomas King (Chief of the Oneidas) "in behalf of the Oneidas, Cayugas, Tuscaroras, Nanticokes and Conoys and the Tuteloes." Under this combined attack upon his kingly pre- tensions Teedyuscung sat like a stoic and said never a word in reply ; but Governor Denny arose and denied that he had made Teedyuscung "a great man." He said further :
"After the Delawares had gone to war against the English the Five Nations advised them [the Delawares on the Susquehanna] to sit still." After this the Governor of Penn- sylvania invited the Delawares to meet in council at Easton. We received an answer to our message from Teedyuscung as a chief among the Delawares. At the time appointed he came and told us that he represented ten nations, amongst which the Five Nations were included ; that he acted as Chief Man for the Delawares, but only as a messenger for the United Nations [meaning the Six, formerly the Five, Nations], who were his uncles and superiors. We believed what your nephew told us, and therefore made him a counselor and agent for us. I must do him the justice to declare to you that at our former public treaties Teedyuscung never assumed any such power [or authority over the Five Nations], but on many occasions when he spoke of you called you his uncles and superiors."
Governor Denny was followed by Governor Bernard of New Jersey, who said :
"I know not who made Teedyuscung so great a man, nor do I know that he is any greater than a chief of the Delaware Indians settled at Wyoming. The title of 'King' could not be given him by any English Governor, for we know very well that there is no such person among Indians as what we call a King. And if we call him so we mean no more than a sachem or chief."
Five days after this discussion Teedyuscung arose in the public conference and, addressing himself to the deputies of the Six Nations, said :
"Uncles, you may remember that you have placed us at Wyoming and Shamokin- places where Indians have lived before. Now I hear that you have since sold that land to our brethren, the English. Let the matter now be cleared up in the presence of our brethren, the English. I sit here as a bird on a bough. I look about and do not know where to go. Let me, therefore, come down upon the ground and make that my own by a good deed, and I shall then have a home forever. For if you, my uncles, or I, die, our brethren, the English, will say they have bought it from you, and so wrong my posterity out of it."
In response to this Thomas King (Chief of the Oneidas), speaking in behalf of the Six Nations on the following day, addressed himself to the Delawares in these words :
"By this belt Teedyuscung desired us to make you, the Delawares, the owners of the lands at Wyoming, Shamokin and other places on the Susquehanna River. In answer to which we, who are present, say that we have no power to convey lands to any one ; but we will take your request to the Great Council fire for their sentiments, as we never sell or convey lands before it be agreed upon in the Great Council of the Six Nations. In the meantime you may make use of those lands in conjunction with our people."
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