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 63
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During Thomas Penn's residence in Philadelphia the State House, now Independence Hall, was built; the "Walking Purchase" (see page 194) was consummated, and the great Indian treaty of 1736 (see page 192) took place in the Friends' Meeting-house, at the corner of Second and Market Streets, Philadelphia. Thomas Penn, while in Pennsylvania, took a somewhat active part in the affairs of the Province- especially with regard to the treaties and conferences with the Indians. Late in the Autumn of 1741 he returned to England.
The death of (i) John Penn in 1746 left Thomas Penn the holder of three-fourths of the Proprietary and family estates in Pennsylvania and Delaware, and thenceforward for almost thirty years-until his death-he was the chief of the Penn family and a figure of the first importance in the public affairs of Pennsylvania. April 6, 1772, there was printed in the Pennsylvania Packet (Philadelphia) the following, dated "London, December 21, 1771"-shortly after the death of (v) Richard Penn, whose son John (men- tioned on page 262, ante) had thereupon become a co-Proprietary with his uncle Thomas in the Pennsyl- vania and Delaware estates. "Mr. [Thomas] Penn of Spring Garden is now the richest subject in Europe. His estate in the Province of Pennsylvania alone was, in the year 1759, estimated on his own principles at ten million pounds sterling; and his dignity and power are not less than his enormous wealth, for he is absolute Governor, Proprietor and Captain General of Pennsylvania, and nominates his Lieutenant Governor and all his Judges, Justices, militia officers, etc., during pleasure."
After his return to England from Pennsylvania Thomas Penn lived in London most of the time until his death; but during the latter years of his life he owned-and occupied during a portion of each year- a handsome estate at Stoke-Poges in Buckinghamshire. He was married in 1749 or '50 to Lady Juliana Fermor, fourth daughter of the first Earl of Pomfret, whose seat was at Easton-Neston, in Northampton- shire. (See note, page 254.) A daughter of Thomas and Lady Juliana Penn became the wife of - Stuart, Archbishop of Armagh. Thomas Penn died in London March 21, 1775, and was buried at Stoke-Poges.
The portrait of Thomas Penn facing this page is a reduced photo-reproduction of a portrait in oils (owned by The Historical Society of Pennsylvania), copied from an original (in possession of the Earl of Ranfurly) which was painted at the time of the marriage of Mr. Penn. It represents "a perfectly dressed and somewhat precise gentleman, in the costume of the middle of the eighteenth century. He wears an embroidered grayish lilac silk coat and breeches, and a long white satin waistcoat. He stands at the open door of a wainscotted room, with an uncarpeted wooden floor. Through the door-way an ante- chamber can be seen, with a window opening upon a pleasant country view."
¡ JAMES HAMILTON, the first native-born Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, was born at Phila- delphia in 1710, the son of Andrew Hamilton, a native of Scotland, who had settled in Accomac County, Virginia, about 1697. Prior to 1710 Andrew Hamilton had married and removed to Philadelphia. In 1717 he was appointed Attorney General of Pennsylvania, and in 1721 became a member of the Provincial Council. In 1727 he was appointed Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and Recorder of the city of Philadelphia. From 1737 to 1741 he was Judge of the Vice Admiralty Court at Philadelphia. He was an able lawyer and eloquent advocate, and through his successful defense in 1735 of the editor of a New York newspaper, who had been charged with "false, scandalons and malicious libel," the freedom of the press was established in this country. Andrew Hamilton died in Philadelphia August 4, 1741.
James Hamilton succeeded his father as Prothonotary of the Supreme Court, at that time the most lucrative office in the Province. In 1735 he succeeded Benjamin Franklin as Grand Master of Free Masons in Pennsylvania. From 1735 to 1740 he was a member of the Provincial Assembly; from 1746 to 1747 he was Mayor of Philadelphia, and in 1746 and '47 a member of the Provincial Council. Early in 1748 he visited England, and while there was commissioned (March 17, 1748) by Thomas and Richard Penn, the Proprietaries, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. His appointment was approved by the King in Council May 12, 1748, and on the 23d of the following November Hamilton, having returned to Philadelphia, assumed the reins of government. He served in the office of Lieutenant Governor until October, 1754, when, having requested to be relieved of his duties, he was succeeded by Robert Hunter Morris. In 1756 and '57 James Hamilton again served as a member of the Provincial Council.
Having entered upon the duties of Lieutenant Governor a second time in November, 1759, he con- tinued in the performance of them until November, 1763, when he was succeeded by John Penn, men- tioned on page 262, ante. From May 4 to October 16, 1771, and from July 19 to August 30, 1773, James Hamilton was, as President of the Provincial Council, acting Lieutenant Governor. He was unfriendly to the American Revolution, and shortly after the promulgation of the Declaration of Independence he and several other Philadelphia loyalists were required by the new Pennsylvania Government to give their paroles to stay within certain limits. August 15, 1777, the Supreme Executive Council of the State agreed, on motion, that these loyalists "have the bounds prescribed in their respective paroles enlarged to the whole State of Pennsylvania." (See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," XI : 38.) Some time after the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British in June, 1778, James Hamilton removed to the city of New York, where he died August 14, 1783.
Hamilton's home in Philadelphia was known as "Bush Hill." The property, which had formed part of the Springettsbury Manor, and lay along the north side of what is now Buttonwood Street, between Sixteenth and Eighteenth Streets, consisted of a splendid mansion (built by Andrew Hamilton in 1740), surrounded by a beautiful and attractive garden. When John Adams was Vice President of the United States he lived for two or three years-circa 1790-in the mansion, and during the yellow-fever epidemic in 1793 it was used as a hospital. Later it became a tavern, and in 1808 was, with the exception of its walls, destroyed by fire.
The portrait of former Governor Hamilton facing this page is a reduced photo-reproduction of a por- trait in oils owned by The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
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THE HON. THOMAS PENN.
THE HON. JAMES HAMILTON.
Photo-reproductions of portraits owned by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
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"Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the counties of New Castle, Sussex and Kent on Delaware," to succeed Lieutenant Governor Denny. The latter had been for some time hampered in the performance of his duties by the hostility of the Provincial Assembly,* and in consequence not only the people of the Province but the Proprie- taries were dissatisfied with his administration of affairs. Finally, hav- ing been accused of accepting bribes to betray the interests of the Pro- prietaries for those of the Crown-in the matter of approving and sign- ing certain Acts of the Assembly for public supplies and for re-emitting bills of credit-he was removed from office. Returning to England he was appointed to an important position in the army, which lie retained till his death, about 1766.
November 17, 1759, the commission of Lieutenant Governor Hamil- ton was publicly read at the Court House, Philadelphia, and once more he took up the reins of government. He had scarcely got them well in hand when the ubiquitous Teedyuscung appeared in Philadelphia (on December 3d), accompanied by his half-brother "Tom Evans," "Daniel" (mentioned on page 368), "Catfish" and "Joshua" (the messen- gers from the Ohio, mentioned on page 386) and four other Indians, men and women. With the Indians were four white prisoners (two elderly women and two boys) who had suffered "a tedious captivity" among the Delawares on the upper waters of the Susquehanna; and these, together with six horses which had been stolen by Delawares from Pennsylvanians, were turned over to Governor Hamilton by Tee- dyuseung. In thanking the King for the return of the captives and the horses the Governor saidt: "I have a just sense of the kind part you have taken in promoting the good work of peace, and shall be ready at all times to do you any service in my power."
Returning to Wyoming it is probable that Teedyuscung spent the remainder of the Winter here; but with the coming of Spring he repaired to Philadelphia, and March 29, 1760, had, in company with Moses Tatemy, Christian Frederick Post and others, a conference with Gover- nor Hamilton. Exhibiting a wampum belt of nine rows, two feet in length, upon which was represented a road passing through twelve towns, Teedyuscung said :
"I received this belt from all the warriors and young men who live on the Susque- hanna River, with a message pressing me to be strong and telling me they would reach out their hands and lift me on my legs to help me along; and that they were sitting and waiting for me, and desired I would be with them in six weeks, and they would collect themselves together from all their towns and meet at Otsiningo and there hold a council before my going to the great council over the River Ohio. I desire Frederick Post and another white man to go with me; also Moses Tatemy. I expect you will provide me with horses and other necessaries, and a sufficient quantity of wainpum."
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* In May. 1758, in reply to some strictures which Governor Denny had made relative to the Provincial Assembly, that body sent a long and fierce message to the Governor. (See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 107-109.) The following passages have been extracted from it. "You assert that we seemed determined to see the Province brought to the utmost destruction, rather than that the fingering of the public money should not be in a few leading men of our House. * * The great relish for finger- ing public money, we apprehend, is rather to be found with the Governor; and we should be glad his connection were such with the people that we could safely confide in him. But when he looks on him- self only as a passenger, and regards not whether the barque entrusted to his care shall sink or swim- provided he can by any means reach the shore-it is our indispensable duty to take every measure in our power to preserve that economy and public justice in the laying out and appropriating the people's money for which this Government has ever been so very remarkable. * * * Thus having answered all the material parts of your unkind message, filled with the grossest invectives and misrepresentations. we must assure you that we are desirous to submit our merit to the test of our actions. * * Have you not continually usurped an arbitrary power of amending our Money Bills, and thereby repeatedly violated one of the most essential rights of the people ? * * Have you not retarded and obstructed the granting of supplies to the Crown by tenaciously adhering to your instructions [from the Proprietaries]? Have you not had under your command 1,400 men, and yet permitted the most trifling parties of Indians to depopulate a great part of the Province, and captivate and murder the inhabitants, while our troops have been inactive in our forts ?"
+ See "Pennsylvania Archives," Fourth Series, III : 5.
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The King and his companions remained in Philadelphia until April 3d, when they were formally received in conference by the Gover- nor and the Council, and it was arranged that Christian Frederick Post, John Hays (a young Scots-Irishman who resided in Allen Township, Northampton County, in the neighborhood of Bethlehemn), Moses Tatemy and Isaac Still should accompany Teedyuscung in his journey to the great council on the Ohio. They were to take with them copies of all the treaties and minutes of conferences theretofore made and held by the Pennsylvania authorities with Teedyuscung, and the latter was "to be fitted out with a good suit of clothes, hat, etc., that he may make an appearance answerable to the occasion." To Post Governor Hamilton said : "You are to take all the care in your power that Teedynscung sets out time enough to be present at the opening of the council, and that he takes with him the wampum given him to use on this occasion." It was directed, also, that "necessaries be provided for Teedyuscung and his company," as per the following list *: "Two dozen shirts, two dozen handkerchiefs, one dozen blankets, one dozen strouds, one dozen pairs of shoes, one dozen hats, three good, strong [pack] horses, vermilion, knives, ribbons, awls, needles and thread, ten tin cups, one pound of tea, one-half bushel of salt, two axes, one dozen breech-clouts, two lialf- barrels of powder, and lead in proportion, thirty pounds of swan shot and pigeon shot, pipes and tobacco." The Government proposed, also, that Nutimns (who was then living near Tioga, as stated on page 226) and Paxinosa (who had removed to the Ohio region, as previously men- tioned) should accompany Teedyuscung to the council, and that "each should have a stroud and a shirt sent to him."
On the 8th of May John Hays was joined at his father's house by Post, who had come from Bethlehem, and the next day the two set out for Fort Allen. Hays kept a diary of the journey, and from itt we learn that the travelers left Fort Allen in the morning of Saturday, May 10th, and, traveling all day till late, "through a vast desert," lodged at night in the woods. In the evening of Sunday the 11th they reached the village of Wyoming, where they were informed that Teedyuscung had that morning started on his journey; but a runner was immediately sent after him to inform him of the coming of Post and Hays. On Monday the King returned to Wyoming, and, wrote Hays, "we had several conferences." According to the diarist-"Tuesday the 13th we [they ] wrought at making belts and strings of our wampuin. Were used very kindly. 14th .- Very rainy weather, so that we could not set ont; so we followed our old business of belt making. 15th .- Weather the same, so that we were obliged to lie by as before, and inake belts. 16th .- Designed going, but Teedyuscung would not go until he had a field of corn planted first, and we all assisted him and planted it this day." Early in the morning of Saturday, May 17th, the company set off from Wyoming on horseback. In the cavalcade were fourteen persons, as follows : Teedyuscung, his sons "Captain Amnos" and "Captain Bull," Christian Frederick Post, John Hays, Moses Tatemy, Isaac Still, "Anondounoakom, son of the Chief of the Minisinks," and six Minisink, or Monsey, Indians. Three pack-horses-furnished by the Government -carried the supplies that would be needed by the travelers en route.
* See "Pennsylvania Archives, " First Series, III : 717.
+ See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, III : 735.
.
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'They traveled smartly, and about one o'clock crossed the Lacka- wanna. Continuing their course along the east, or left, bank of the Susquehanna, they set up their "tents at night in an old Indian town called Quelootama." On the 19th they arrived at Quihaloosing, or Machhachloosing, later known as Wyalusing .* This was a Monsey town, of "about twenty houses full of people," which had been estab- lished about 1752 on the east bank of the river nearly a mile below the mouth of Wyalusing Creek. The Chief of the town was Papoonhank, who, according to John Hays, was "a very religious, civilized man-in his own way." Post preached to the people of the town, at the request of their Chief, in the evening of the 19th and again the next evening. At this town there were three white captives-two girls and a boy --- and several horses stolen from the inhabitants on the frontiers, and at the request of Teedyuscung Papoonhank agreed to deliver up all of them to the Government-which he did, at Philadelphia, on the 11th of July. On May 23d the travelers arrived at Assinnissinkt (mentioned on page 327), and the next day, writes Hays, "the Indians began to sacrifice to their god, and spent the day in a very odd manner, howling, dancing, raveling like wolves, and painted frightfull as Divels. 26th .- The Indians having got run, got drunk, all in general, except some old men. Teedyuscung behaved well on this occasion, for when his son brought in the keg with rum he would not taste it. 27th .- A messen- ger from the Mingo town told us they bid 1is welcome to this town, but if we came any farther they would roast nis in the fire. They bid us go home the way we came, and come no farther. They desired that none of the nations on the Susquehanna should give up their prisoners. June 1st .- Still at Assinnissink. We sent a message by Moses Tatemy and 'Captain Bull,' Teedyuscung's son, to the Mingoes again. June 6th. -Set off for Passeckachkunk, and came to James Davis' about noon. Dined with him. Proceeded on; lodged on the bank of the West Branch. June 7th .- Sent Bull before his early ; we all followed ; passed several little towns and arrived at Passeckachkunkt about four o'clock, after crossing the river five times. This town stands on the south side of the river and is in two parts, at the space of a mile distance, where there are two sorts of people. The nearest part is peopled with Wana- inies (Quitigon is their Chief), and the upper part is Mingoes. We halted at the lower town."
Here the party remained until June 16th, when Post and Hays received final orders from the Mingoes to go home. On the 19th, there- fore, they retraced their way as far as James Davis', being accompanied by Moses Tatemy and four Mohawks as guides and protectors. Then Tatemy left them and rejoined Teedyuscung. Remaining at Davis' a couple of days Post and Hays proceeded to Assimnissink, where they had a conference with Egohohowni the "Governor" of the town. On the 23d they breakfasted at "French Margaret's" (see page 206), and i11 the evening reached Tioga. On the 27th they arrived at Wyoming, and on the 29th at Fort Allen1.
Teedyuscung and the other members of the party continued their journey unmolested, and on the 12th of August were present at the great council held in the English camp before Pittsburg. Among
* See pages 171 and 220. | Near the confluence of the rivers Canisteo and Tioga.
# Without much doubt this was "Passekawkung," mentioned on page 352.
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those who took part in this council were Brigadier General Monckton, commanding the King's forces in the Southern District; Col. Sir John St. Clair, Col. James Burd, George Croghan, Capt. Andrew Montour (interpreter), and large numbers of the Six Nations, Twightwees, Ottawas, Shawanese, Wyandottes, Pottawatomies and Delawares. Of the latter, 202 warriors, 168 women and 191 children were present, representing all the clans, or sub-tribes, of the nation. At the close of the council Teedyuscung and his retinue returned to the East without delay, and on September 15th the King reported to Governor Hamilton at Philadelphia :
"I have been a long way back-a great way, indeed-beyond the Allegheny, among my friends there. When I got as far as the Salt Lick Town, towards the head of Beaver Creek,* I stopped there and sent messengers to the chiefs of all the Indians in those parts, desiring them to come and hold council .; It took three weeks to collect them together ; and then, having a large number gathered together, I communicated to them all that had passed between me and this Government for four years past-at which they were glad, and declared that this was the first time they had had a right understanding of these transactions."
Three days after making this report Teedyuscung appeared before the Governor again and announced that he had got ready to set out for Wyoming, when he heard some bad news. Continuing he saidt:
"Yesterday I was told that some of the New England people are gone on the west side of the Susquehanna? with intent to settle the lands at Wyomink. If this should be the case then all the pains that have been taken by this Government and me will be to no purpose. It is the Indians' land, and they will not suffer it to be settled. I therefore desire the Governor will send a smart letter to the Government where those intruding people came from, to forbid this proceeding, and tell their Governor plainly that if they do not go away the Indians will turn them off. These people cannot pretend ignorance, . and if they shall then continue on the lands it will be their own fault if anything happens. If the Governor can't, the Indians will put a stop to it."
The Governor said he had received the saine information a few days before, and had ordered the Sheriff and some of the inagistrates at Easton to go to the place where it was said the New Englanders were settling, "inquire into their pretensions and proceedings and warn them off." 'The "place" referred to was at and near Cushetunk (later Cochec- ton), and the "New Englanders" were the proprietors of The Delaware Company, or their authorized representatives, who were taking posses- sion of their "rights" in the territory purchased from the Indians. (See pages 293 and 294, and "Map of a Part of Pennsylvania" in Chapter XI.) On October 8, 1760, Aaron DePui, Lewis Klotz, John Moore and Lewis Gordon, by direction of Governor Hamilton, journeyed to Cushetunk to gather information as to the situation there. A week later they made their report to the Governor, || setting forth that they had ascer- tained that "the Government of Connecticut, about six or seven years previously, granted unto about 800 or 900 persons power to purchase a tract of land from the Indians. In consequence, those proprietors en1- powered two of their number, - Elderkin and - - Whitney, to pur- chase from the Delaware Indians. The purchase was made about six years ago." The report then continued as follows :
"Some of the proprietors are - Fitch (son of the Governor of Connecticut), Isaac Tracey, Jabez Fitch, Elisha Tracey, Benajah Parks, Hezekiah Huntington, Daniel Skinner, Timothy Skinuer, Benjamin Ashley, John Smith and Nathan Chapman, who * See map facing page 320.
+ This was in July, prior to the council held in the camp before Pittsburg. Teedyuscung claimed that ten nations-among them the Twightwees, Owendats, Shawanese, Chippeways and all the clans of the Delawares-were present at this council on Beaver Creek. (See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 497 )
Į See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 500.
2. It was the Delaware, and not the Susquehanna, River to which Teedyuscung referred.
See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 564.
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have accordingly laid out and surveyed the said large tract of land in the Province of Pennsylvania, and at Cushetunk have erected three townships, each of which is to extend in length on the Delaware ten miles, and in breadth, eight miles. In the middle town- ship a large town is laid out, consisting of eighty and odd lots-200 acres in each lot- to each of which a water lot of ten acres appertains. On the lowlands are built three log houses, one saw-mill, one grist-mill almost finished, and about thirty cabins for working people. Their number at present is about twenty men, besides women and children. About twenty more are gone home for want of provisions-but they are in full expecta- tion to be joined by one hundred families, at least, in the Spring. It is strongly affirmed that every individual member of the Upper House, and the chief part of the Lower House, of the Assembly of Connecticut are interested and concerned in the said purchase. The Governor has not yet thought proper to suffer his name to be made use of, but his son is one of the proprietaries. The lands are sold for eight or ten dollars in hand for 200 acres -twelve whereof to be cleared and improved and a house built in three years ; otherwise, to be forfeited."
February 10, 1761, Governor Hamilton wrote to Governor Thomas Fitch, of Connecticut, and to Sir William Johnson, relative to the situation of affairs at Cushetunk. His letter to Sir William was, in part, as follows* :
"I am further to acquaint you that we are like to have a fresh trouble, and I am afraid a renewal of the Indian war, from a most wicked revival of the Connecticut claims. Those restless spirits have actually come at the close of the last Summer [1760] and laid out townships on the west side of the Delaware River, on lands not purchased of the Indians, and left some of their people to retain possession during the Winter, intending to join them with vast numbers in the Spring and to carry all before them by force. * Accordingly I have wrote Governor Fitcht to use his influence to recall the people already settled, and to prevent others from coming. *
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