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 67
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"On this speech of Thomas King's we [the Wyoming Indians] met together in council, and agreed not to give him any promise to come to Albany, but to advise the Governor of Pennsylvania of this and to take his advice what to do ; and if he will go with us, and advise us to go, we will go-in case we should be sent for in the Spring. Brother, surely, as you have a General of the King's armies here he might hinder these people from coming and disturbing us in our possessions.
"Brother, I have one thing more to say, and then I shall have finished all I have to say at this time. You may remember that at the treaty at Easton we were promised that a schoolmaster and ministers should be sent to instruct us in religion and to teach us to read and write. As none have been yet provided for us I desire to know what you intend to do in this matter. *
* * About six days before I left Wyomink I received a belt from King Beaver,|| who desired that I and the Delawares, the Wapings and Mohickons settled at Wyoming would remove thence and come and live at Allegheny."
On the next day after the delivery of the foregoing speech the Governor replied to it, in part as follows :
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," IX : 6.
+ This refers to the sixteen "pioneers" who arrived in Wyoming in June, but soon retired to the Cushetunk settlement.
These men were, undoubtedly, a part of the company of twenty-five who, as previously explained, remained in the valley until about the middle of October, after the departure of the main body of the settlers.
2 See page 410. il See note, page 326.
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"I thank you for the information you have given me of what passed between you and the people of Connecticut. Hearing that some of these people were gone towards the Susquelianna I sent a special messenger* after them, to warn them from settling those lands and to take care not to give offense to the Indians, from whom those lands had not been purchased. My messenger came, fortunately, just after the Six Nations had ordered them to go away, and shown great reluctance at their presuming to come and settle those lands ; and met them returning home displeased with the Six Nations for speaking to them in the rough manner they did. Brother, I have written both to General Amherst and to Sir William Johnson and to the Governor of Connecticut. This matter is likewise laid before the great King by Sir William Johnson, so that I am in hopes that you will not see any more of these troublesome people, but that measures will be taken to keep them at home.
"Brother, I commend you for your prudent behavior. I did, and do still, desire that no blood of the white people may be shed by you, but that you will continue to give me the earliest notice you can if you hear of any of them coming again in the Spring. Brother, I observe what you say with reference to the message sent to you by Beaver. You know that your uncles, the Six Nations, have kindled a fire for you at Wyomink, and desired you would stay there and watch and give them notice if any white people should come to take away the lands from them, and that you would not suffer them to do it. You may think, be assured, that this Winter measures will be taken to prevent these troublesome people from coming to disturb you. On these considerations I desire you will remain quiet where you are and not move away, as you seem to have no inclina- tion to go away only on account of these New England disturbers.
"As to any invitations the Six Nations may make to you to conie to Albany to counsel with them and to meet the New England people, you will pay such regard to them as your connections with your uncles will require. I don't pretend to any authority over you, but I would advise you to comply with such invitation as you shall receive from your uncles. I am not invited, and know nothing of this matter, but if I hear anything of it I will let you know. The times have been so unsettled that there has been no opportunity of sending ministers and schoolmasters among you. Now there is a likeli- hood of a general peace soon to be established. If you determine still to continue at Wyomink-about which you have expressed some doubts to me-I shall consider of this matter and send you an answer at the proper time."
Within a few days after his interview with Governor Hamilton Teedyuscung set out on his homeward journey, never again either to see the Governor or to visit Philadelphia. Arriving at Bethlehem he found David Zeisberger about to start on a hurried visit to Wyoming, accompanied by Gottlieb Sensemann (a Moravian Brother). In the company of these missionaries, therefore, Teedyuscung traveled the remainder of his way home. An epidemic of dysenteryt was raging in the valley, and many Indians were suffering from it. Among the first to be prostrated had been Abraham (Schabash), the Mohegan, who immediately sent an urgent message to Bethlehem-"Brethren, let a teacher come to see ine ere I die !" But Zeisberger, who came in response to this call, arrived too late; the aged Mohegan had finished his course, exhorting, with his dying breath, the Indians about him to remain faithful to Christ. In compliance with his last request he was buried near his village, previously mentioned, on Abraham's Plains. Zeisberger and Sensemann spent some days in the valley and attended in their dying moments many of the baptized Indians-both Mohegans and Delawares. Among the latter was Captain Augustus ("George Rex"), § who passed away "admonishing those about him to avoid his evil example, and professing a sure hope of eternal life." Several days before his death that of his wife occurred, and some days later her sister, the wife of Teedyuscung, died.
The news that The Susquehanna Company had, at length, actually begun a settlement in Wyoming Valley, soon spread throughout Con- necticut and aroused considerable interest and comment, not only
* Daniel Brodhead. See page 405. + See, also, page 212.
į See Loskiel's "History of the Mission of the United Brethren."
¿See note, page 338.
109
among the shareholders, or proprietors, of the Company, but among the people generally. Among those who foresaw that unusual advan- tages would accrue to the Colony and the country from this opening up of new territory, and who desired to benefit thereby, was the Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, mentioned in the note on page 293. He was a settled clergyman (Congregational) in the town of Lebanon (mentioned on page 283), where, several years prior to this time, he had founded an Indian school, with the double object of preparing young preachers for the missionary field and of educating Indian youth who should return to their tribes and become teachers among their own people. Without show or ostentation Dr. Wheelock had begun this school at his own louise, and almost at his own charge. He started with two pupils, one of whom was Sampson Occum,* but the school gradually increased in numbers until pupils flocked to Lebanon faster than they could be pro- vided for. So benevolent an undertaking, pursued with such singleness of purpose, could not fail to attract public notice and approbation, and Dr. Wheelock was aided by contributions from individuals while the , Province of Massachusetts voted to pay, for a certain time, the expense of educating six Indian children. Joshua Moor, who owned lands in Lebanon, gave a portion of them for the benefit of the school ; and from this circumstance the seminary for the education of Indian boys after- wards attached to Dartmouth College was known as "Moor's Indian School."
Under date of September 8, 1762, Dr. Wheelock wrote to Sir William Johnson, as follows :
"I understand that some of our people are about to settle our new Purchase on Susquehannalı River. If it does not disoblige and prejudice the Indians I shall be glad ; and it may be if that settlement should go on a door may open for my design on that Purchase."
In reply to this Sir William wrote from Johnson Hall, October 16, 1762, as followst:
"While the Indians remain in their present sentiments it will be highly improper to attempt any settlement in their country, as they are greatly disgusted at the great thirst which we all seem to show for their lands ; and, therefore, I must give it as my opinion that any settlement on the Susquehanna River may prove fatal to those who should attempt to establish themselves thereon, as the Indians have all declared not only their great aversion thereto, but have also threatened to prevent any such settlement-so that I hope the dangers to which they may be exposed, together with your Governor's proclamation against the same, will induce those concerned to drop their undertaking."
November 16, 1762, a largely-attended meeting of The Susque- hanna Company was held at Windham. The Directing Committee,
* An Indian of the Mohegan tribe, referred to on page 160, ante. At a later period he became celebra- ted as a preacher and an instructor among the Indians. When almost at the zenith of his efficiency and reputation he and another clergyman were sent to England as agents to solicit assistance from the wealthy and charitable' for Dr. Wheelock's school. They were furnished with testimonials of their character, and certificates of approbation from eminent persons in the Colonies. In England Occum was looked upon as a wonder. He was the first Indian preacher from the New World who had ever visited the Old World, and wherever he went crowds thronged to see and hear him. A North American Indian in a pulpit, eloquently preaching in the English tongue, "was a phenomenon too nearly miraculous to pass unseen or unheard" in those days. It was said, moreover, that he exhibited in his person and character a practical example of what might be done with Indians when fairly brought under the influence of instruction. All this was highly favorable to the great ends of the mission, and in a few months a subscription was obtained to the amount of nearly £10,000. The King gave €200, and several gentlemen £100 each. The money was deposited in the hands of trustees in England, and drawn upon by Dr. Wheelock as occasion required.
Toward the close of the colonial period remnants of several Algonkian tribes scattered through New Jersey, Long Island and the southern part of New England were gathered together, and in 1786 Sampson Occum led 192 of these emigrants to a place near Oriskany, New York. In 1788 they were secured In treaty in the possession of six square miles of land in what is now the town of Marshall, Oneida County, New York. Having no language in common, they adopted the English, and from this and the fact of being a brotherhood living in a town, they received the appellation of "Brothertown Indians." (See note, page 193.)
For a portrait of Sampson Occum, and a sketch of his life, see "Indian 'tribes of the United State- ' (Edition of 1856), Part V, page 518.
f See "Documentary History of the State of New York, " IV : 315, 320.
410
previously mentioned, having made a report of the work begun by the first settlers at Wyoming, and of their several conferences with the Indians here, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted :
"Whereas, It is represented that a congress with the Indians of the Six Nations is expected at Albany on the 22d of March next, according to the agreement of John Smith,* Esq., with some of the said Indian chiefs, it is
"Voted, That Col. Eliphalet Dyer, Timothy Woodbridge, Esq., John Smith, Esq., Job Randall, Esq., Mr. Isaac Tracy, Mr. John Jenkins, Capt. Uriah Stevens and Col. John Lydius be a committee to repair to Albany on the said 22d of March with full power and authority in behalf of this Company to treat with said Indian chiefs respecting our purchase made of them, and procure a recognition of said purchase ; and also to agree with any tribe or chief Indians that complain they have not been fully satisfied nor received their part of the purchase money ; and make such reasonable presents and gratuities as may be needful to content said Indians.
"Voted, That whereas at the last meeting there was the right to two townships ordered to 200 men, * * and numbers went on upon said lands in order to take posses- sion, but thought it prudent to withdraw for a season-it is now voted that the same privilege be and is hereby continued to such persons as in said former vote was provided, on condition that they make their entry on said lands by the 1st of June next. * * That one Isaac Bennett, Jr., for unjustly taking the property of some Indiani on said Susquehanna lands, as was supposed, be excluded from having any part in said town- ships. That the same committee for carrying on the said settlement be also continued, and that the major part of said committee (that may be present on their march to said place, and when there arrived) to govern and control in said affair."
About the middle of March, 1763, Sir William Johnson was hold- ing a conference with some Mohawk and Seneca chiefs at Fort John- son, § when, as we glean from the diary of Sir William, | Col. Eliphalet Dyer and Timothy Woodbridge, Esq., arrived there in order to learn whether or not the deputies of the Six Nations "were coming down to a meeting proposed to be held at Albany ye 22d inst. with them and
* JOHN SMITH, previously mentioned as a member of the Journeying Committee and of the Directing Committee of The Susquehanna Company and as one of the settlers at Wyoming in 1762 (see pages 255, 401 and 401), was an original member of the Company; and. from the beginning of its life until the end of his own, was unceasing in his efforts to advance the interests of the organization and increase and maintain its settlements at Wyoming. He was born at Plainfield, New London (now Windham) County, Connecticut, December 18, 1708, the fifth child of John Smith, Jr., and his wife Susanna Hall, mentioned in the note on page 251. When eight years old he removed with the other members of his father's family to what later became a part of Voluntown, and is now Sterling, Windham County, and about 1730 was admitted an inhabitant of Voluntown. November 24, 1736, he was married at Plainfield by Judge Timothy Peirce to the latter's daughter Phebe, born at Plainfield February 19, 1714.
In May, 1747, John Smith was appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Windham, and annually thereafter, for a period of twenty-five years, was reappointed to the office. As one of the Deputies from Voluntown he attended sessions of the General Assembly in 1752, '54, '55, '56, '57, '58, '59, '60, '61, '62 and '66. In 1760 he was chosen one of the Elders of the Voluntown Church, of which his brother-in-law, the Rev. Samuel Dorrance, was pastor. He died at his home in Voluntown in August or September, 1772. His wife Phebe survived him, certainly for a number of years ; but I have not been able to ascertain the date of her death.
John and Phebe ( Peirce) Smith were the parents of four sons and six daughters, as follows : i. John (born September 4, 1737); ii. Susanna (born March 28, 1739); iii. Timothy (born April 28, 1740); iv. Hannah (born March 23, 1742); v. Ruth ( born March 19, 1744); vi. Susanna (born June 23, 1746); vii. Abel (born August 31, 1748); viii, Jedidiah (born 1750); ix. Phebe (born April 23, 1752); x. Zurviah (born 1754).
For a fuller account of John Smith and his family see "The Harvey Book," published at Wilkes- Barré in 1899.
+ At this period, as well as earlier, in New England particular attention was always paid to the pre- fixing or affixing of official titles, or titles of respect or honor (whenever due by courtesy or right), to the names of persons appearing in all documents and records of a public or quasi-public nature. Hollister, in his "History of Connecticut" (Edition of 1855), I : 424, says: "The prefix 'Master' (Mr.) belonged to all gentlemen, including those designated by the higher marks of rank [as for example, "Esquire"]. In Connecticut it embraced clergymen, and planters of good family and estate who were members of the General Court. * * To be called 'Master,' or to have one's name recorded by the Secretary [of the General Court] with that prefix 200 years ago, was a more certain index of the rank of the individual as respects birth, education and good moral character, than any one of the high-sounding appellations which in our day are applied to many men of no merit whatever. It may be observed, by reference to our colonial records, that there were scores of men of good family and in honorable stations who still did not possess all the requisite qualities of 'Masters.' * *
"Military titles were considered of a very high order, as we should naturally expect to find them in a Colony that was in an almost uninterrupted state of war from the time of the burning of the Pequot fort until the close of the American Revolution. * * The clerical prefix of 'Reverend' does not occur upon our colonial records until about 1670; the members of the profession bearing the simple titles of 'Mr.', 'Pastor', 'Teacher' or 'Elder.' Deacons were regarded with reverence, and were often employed in civil as well as in ecclesiastical affairs. The title frequently occurs in a list of Deputies and Commissioners. * * * Many of the officers of the army, who were regarded with deep reverence by the people, were the principal pillars of the aristocracy ; but the most thoroughly patrician body of men in Connecticut was the clergy, who exercised an almost unlimited authority over the inhabitants."
# This refers, undoubtedly, to the horse taken from Teedyuscung. See page 407.
See note, page 296. See Stone's "Poetry and History of Wyoming" (Third Edition), page 392.
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the New England people, who were now come to Albany for ye purpose and had with them between .£300 and £400 as a present to give ye Six Nations in case they would consent to their (ye New England people's) settling and enjoying the land of and about Skahandowana* on the Susquehanna ; also six bullocks and three barrels of pork."
Quoting further from Sir William's dairy relative to this matter, we have the following :
"This invitation was sent last Autmun in writing by one John Smith * * and delivered to Thomas King of Oyhquago, who, I told them, had not, I thought, delivered it to the Six Nations-as I heard them say nothing about it when a few days ago assembled at my house. The beforementioned gentlemen [Dyer and Woodbridge] then made me an offer to be a partner in ye land, and to send up the money to me, also the bullocks and pork, etc., that I miglit call ye Six Nations and give it thein, provided they agreed to their proposal-all which I refused with ye slight it deserved, and gave them my opinion on the whole affair; and also told them the unhappy consequences that would in all probability follow should they (as they often hinted) form a settlement in them parts. After many fruitless efforts to prevail on me to join and assist them, they returned to Albany. The Mohawks who were yet present being desirous to know their [Dyer and Woodbridge ] business, were told it in part, and seemed very uneasy about it, giving it as their opinion that if the New Englanders persisted in their design of settling said lands it would be of very bad consequences.
"March 25, 1763, several of ye Mohawks came. Then Abraham,t their Chief, spoke as follows : 'Brother, we could not rest these two days past, since we heard that our brethren of Connecticut were so intent upon settling a number of their people at Skahandowana ; and being fully sensible of ye fatal consequences that must attend a proceeding of that nature, we, in a full meeting of all our people [the Mohawks of the "Lower Castle," evidently ] resolved to come to you and beg you would, with this belt of wampum [Chief Abraham here presented a belt] and a letter from yourself, acquaint our brotlier, the Governor of Connecticut, that there is to be a council of all ye Six Nations in a short time, where that affair (among other matters) will be thoroughly considered, and therefore desire they may not move from New England before they are inade acquainted with the result thereof.'
" 'Brethren [responded Sir William Johnson], I think your proposal of sending a message to ye Governor of Connecticut to stop the people of his Government going to Wioming, or Skahandowana, until the result of the approaching meeting of ye Six Nations is known thereon, is a friendly and prudent step ; wherefore I shall comply with your request, and liope the Governor inay agree thereto.' "
In pursuance of his promise Sir William Johnson forwarded to Gov. Thomas Fitch of Connecticut, without delay, the message and belt delivered to him by the Mohawks of the "Lower Castle"-accom- panying the same with a personal letter.
The Rev. Eleazar Wheelock-dissatisfied with the opinion expressed to him by Sir William Johnson (as previously noted) relative to the conditions existing in the unsettled parts of the country, but not dis- couraged in respect to his "design" to establish a school for Indian youth within the bounds of the Susquehanna Purchase-determined to appeal to Gen. Sir Jeffrey Amherst (mentioned on page 297), at that time commander-in-chief of all the British forces in the North American Colonies, and practically, in that capacity, viceroy of all those Colonies. Therefore, under date of April 2, 1763, Mr. Wheelock wrote to the General in part as follows:
** "That a tract of land about fifteen or twenty miles square, or so much as shall be sufficient for four townships, on the west side of the Susquehanna River, or in some other place more convenient, in the heart of the Indian country, be granted in favor of this school. The said townships to be peopled with a chosen number of inhabit- ants of known honesty and integrity, and such as love and will be kind to, and honest in their dealings with, Indians. That 1,000 acres of and within said grant be given to
* See page 60.
+ This was, undoubtedly, "Little Abe" (mentioned on page 278), Sachem of the "Lower Castle" of the Mohawks, and not his father, old Abraham Peters, who had been one of the signers of the deed to The Susquehanna Company. The "Lower Castle" of the Mohawks was only a few miles distant from Fort Johnson.
Į See "Documentary History of the State of New York," IV : 315.
412
this school ; and that the school be an academy for all parts of useful learning-part of it to be a college for the education of missionaries, interpreters, schoolmasters, &c., and part of it a school to teach reading, writing, &c. And that there be manufactures for the instruction both of males and females, in whatever shall be useful and necessary in life. "That there be a sufficient number of laborers upon the lands belonging to the school, and that the students be obliged to labor with them and under their direction and conduct, so much as shall be necessary for their health and to give them an under- standing of husbandry. And those who are designed for farmers-after they have got a sufficient degree of school learning, to labor constantly, and the school to have all the benefit of their labor and they the benefit of being instructed therein, till they are of an age and understanding sufficient to set up for themselves and introduce husbandry among their respective tribes."
What response General Amherst made to this communication the present writer has been unable to learn, but we find* that at the session of the General Assembly of Connecticut held in May, 1763, "on a memorial of Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, representing that for some years" then past he had had "under his care and tuition several youths [then numbering upwards of twenty] of the distant Indian tribes," the Assembly granted and ordered "a Brief throughout the Colony, recom- inending it to all inhabitants * to contribute [funds] to such purpose." There the matter rested for a few years.
Messrs. Dyer, Woodbridge and the other representatives of The Susquehanna Company, having found it impossible to hold a conference at Albany with deputies from the Six Nations, returned to their homes. Immediately a call was issued for a meeting of the Company, to be held at Windham on April 7th. A sufficient number of proprietors having met at that time and place it was resolved to lay out eight townships on the Susquehanna River "as near as may be to the town- ships granted as gratuity"-each to contain five miles square of land ; "reserving for the use of the Company, for their after disposal, all beds of mine ore and coal that may be within the towns ordered for settle- ment." It was voted to allow forty proprietors in each of said town- ships, and Timothy Woodbridge, Increase Moseleyt and Job Randall (of Scituate, Rhode Island), "Esquires," were appointed to lay out the said eight townships-Woodbridge to receive from the Company the sum of £20 per month "for not exceeding six months from the time of his setting out on said affair," and Moseley and Randall to be paid a reasonable sum for their services.
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