A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I, Part 72

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909-1930
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 734

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 72

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At almost the same time that Governor Hamilton received the royal mandate concerning affairs at Wyoming, a similar rescript was received by Governor Fitch of Connecticut, who thereupon appointed Maj. David Baldwin a Commissioner to represent the Colony of Con- necticut in the proceedings to oust the proprietors of The Susquehanna Company from their possession of Wyoming. Major Baldwin immedi- ately set out for Philadelphia, by way of the city of New York, in order to interview Governor Hamilton as to the status in quo of the case-so far as Pennsylvania was concerned-before he should proceed to Wyo- ining. From Governor Hamilton he learned of the massacre and dis- persal of the settlers ; whereupon he mounted his horse, rode back to Hartford, made his report to the Governor and presented an account against the Colony for £57, 14s. 2d .- "for expenses on a commission for removing settlers at Wyoming"-which account was duly paid. t

Up to the present time various opinions have been expressed by the different writers of Wyoming history with respect to the Indians who perpetrated the massacre of 1763. Who were they ? Whence camne they ? Stone has answered these queries by stating that certain Six Nation warriors, who were visiting the Delawares at Wyoming, charged the assassination of Teedyuscung upon the Connecticut settlers, "and had the address to inspire the Delawares with such a belief. *

* Stimu- lated to revenge by the representations of their false and insidious visitors, the Delawares rose upon the settlement" and exterminated it.

* See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, Vol. IV.

+ See MS. "7" in volume of MSS. entitled "Susquehannah Settlers, 1755-1796, Vol. I"-mentioned on page 29, ante. Major Baldwin was a resident of Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut.

Į See "The Poetry and History of Wyoming," pages 146 and 147.

434

It is clear, from his language, that Stone believed that the bloody work of that October day was done by members of Teedyuscung's former band who were still dwelling in the village of Wyoming. We have shown, however, by good evidence, that not only that village but the other Indian villages in the valley had been deserted at least three or four months prior to the massacre.

Charles Miner states (in his "History of Wyoming," page 58) that, in view of certain facts which he mentions, "it is plain that the mischief was perpetrated, not by the Delawares, but by the Six Nations." Stew- art Pearce, in his "Annals of Luzerne County" (page 103), says : "There is no sufficient ground for supposing that the massacre * in the Autumn of 1763 was done by the friends of Teedyuscung. All the presumptions are in favor of the opinion that the murderers of Teedyuscung, as well as of the New England settlers, belonged to the Six Nations." Dr. H. Hollister, referring to the destruction of the first Wyoming settlement (in his "History of the Lackawanna Valley," Fifth Edition, page 77) says : "The emigrants were shot and scalped by the same band that murdered Teedyuscung in his Susquehanna wig-

wam." The late Dr. William H. Egle (author of a "History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," and of other historical writings), in an address delivered before the Wyoming Commemorative Association July 3, 1889, said-in reference to the massacre of 1763: "The in- famous transaction was conceived, planned and carried out by those infernal red savages from New York-the Cayugas and Oneidas ! The Delawares and Shawanese-especially the latter-with all their intrigue, treachery and blood-thirstiness, would gladly have been the willing in- struments in this indiscriminate slaughter, if but 'the sign' had been given."

There can be no doubt, in the light thrown on this subject by cer- tain authentic documents-extended extracts from which are printed in the succeeding chapter-that the settlers at Mill Creek were massacred and dispersed in October, 1763, by a band of hostile Delawares led by Teedyuscung's son, "Captain Bull"-as we have previously stated.

CHAPTER VII.

THE CLOSING DAYS OF PONTIAC'S WAR-INDIAN COUNCIL AND TREATY AT FORT STANWIX-INDIAN SALE OF LANDS TO THE PENN- SYLVANIA PROPRIETARIES-SURVEYS AND SET- TLEMENTS AT WYOMING UNDER THE PROPRIETARIES.

"Let the Past perish ! Let darkness shroud it ! Let it sleep forever over the crumbling temples and desolate tombs of its forgotten sons-if it cannot afford us, from its disburied secrets, a guide for the Present and the Future !"

-Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in "Rienzi."

Within a few weeks after the Wyoming massacre, described in the last chapter, Papoonhank and twenty of his followers-Moravian Chris- tian Indians, who refused to respond to the solicitations of "Captain Bull" and other hostile Delawares to take part in the war against the English-betook themselves from Wyalusing to Province Island, in the Delaware River, below Philadelphia. There (with a number of Mora- vian Indians who had been removed thither from near Bethlehemn by the Provincial Government) they were maintained in barracks by the Government until after the war. By the beginning of 1764, therefore, there were no Indians in Pennsylvania east of the North Branch of the Susquehanna save those who were hostile to the whites. The same con- ditions seem to have prevailed at that time in the Colony of New York, as is partly shown by the following extract from a letter* written early in January, 1764, by Gov. Cadwallader Colden (mentioned on page 32, ante) of New York to the Hon. Jolin Penn (mentioned on page 262), who, in November, 1763, had succeeded the Hon. James Hamilton as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.

"The Indians on the east side of the Susquehanna are the most obnoxious to the people of this Province of any, having done the most mischief. They consist of a num- ber of rogues and thieves-runaways from the other nations-and, for that reason, not to be trusted. *

* * The minds of the people are so generally irritated against the Indi- ans living on the north-east branches of the Susquehanna that a number of volunteers were proposed to me to go out against them to punish them for their cruelties and perfidy."

Finally the conditions became so serious that, in the latter part of January, 1764, Sir William Johnson determined to send out an expedi- tion under orders to capture all hostile Indians found on the Susque-

* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," IX : 120.

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hanna and its branches within the bounds of New York. Later Sir William wrote to the Lords of Trade, in London, as follows* :

"Shortly after my letter of the 20th January I assembled the Indians to whom I had given the war-hatchet, and proposed that they should go immediately upon service against our enemies. Accordingly near 200 of them proceeded against the Delawares, near the Susquehanna. On the 26th February they received information that a large party of our enemies, the Delawares, were encamped at a small distance, on their way against some of the settlements. They made an expeditious march to the encampment, which they surrounded at daybreak. Then rushing upon the Delawares, who were sur- prised and unable to make defense, they made them all prisoners, to the number of forty- one, and amongst them their Chief, a remarkable Indian called 'Captain Bull', son to Teedyuscung, and one who has discovered great inveteracy against the English and led several parties against theni and done considerable damage during the present Indian War. Him, with thirteen others, I sent prisoners to New York, t and distributed the rest among the friendly Indians for the replacing of their deceased connections, according to the ancient customt-the observance of which has added vigor to their proceedings.

"Immediately after this fortunate blow a small party I had sent out? fell in with a party their equals in number, killed their Chief and took three prisoners who, with the scalp [of the Chief] were brought here yesterday. This, being the first blood shed by them in our quarrel, will effectually widen the breach between the Indians, and promote His Majesty's service."

March 2, 1764, Sir William Johnson at Johnson Hall, wrote to Colonel Bradstreet a letter|| somewhat similar to the foregoing. After referring to the party of Indians who had gone out on the war-path under his orders, he said :

"They marched expeditiously, surrounded the encampment and made all prisoners -to the number of forty-one, including their Chief Captain Bull, son to Teedyuscung, and one who has discovered great inveteracy against the English and led several parties against them during the present Indian War."

On receipt of the news of the first success of the war-party referred to above, Sir William immediately despatched his son John, with another body of Indians and "a few approved white men," to take ad- vantage of the consternation into which the enemy had been thrown by the offensive operations of the loyal Indians. The results were described by Sir William in a letter to the Lords of Trade, as follows :

"Shortly afterwards, as I expected, I was visited by deputies from all the Senecas, accompanied by [deputies] of the [other] five Nations. These deputies were charged in the name of their whole Nation to desire peace, and to represent that their [the Seneca] Nation had been led into the war by the artifices of the rest, which they had now dis- covered, and, therefore, earnestly requested that they might be once more admitted into our friendship. Upon which (with the General's approbation) I proposed to them the several Articles, to which they unanimously assented, and subscribed the same on the 3d of April, with many promises of engaging heartily against all our enemies. For the per- formance of all which they have left with me three of their Chiefs [Wannughsita, Seri- hoana, and Arajungas] as hostages-the rest returning to carry the news to their nation and collect all tlie prisoners, etc., which, by the Articles, they are bound to deliver up at Niagara, whither I am, by appointment of the General [Amherst], to go in June to make peace with them and the western nations. *

** * The fears of the enemy, of which I have received accounts from all quarters, cannot easily be described. They are not accustomed to sustain any losses from us, and are consequently greatly alarmed at those they have met."

The "several Articles" referred to by Sir William Johnson in the foregoing letter were : "Preliminary Articles of Peace, Friendship and Alliance, entered into between the English and the deputies sent from the whole Seneca Nation." By these "Articles" the Senecas solemnly

* See "Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York," VII : 611 and 624.

Halsey says (in "The Old New York Frontier," page 74) that there "they were lodged in the com- mon jail, after having been much observed by the people of that city, who are described as admiring their sullen and ferocious countenances."

Į Relative to this custom, see page 150, ante. § See note (III), page 207.

" The original letter may be seen in Dr. Thomas A. Emmett's extended copy of Lossing's "Field Book of the American Revolution"-Insert No. 4591, Vol. II-in the New York Public Library (Lenox Branch).

See "Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York," VII : 624.

437

engaged and bound themselves, among other things : (1) To stop all hostilities, and never more to make war on the English. (2) To "col- lect all the English prisoners, deserters, Frenchmen and negroes amongst them, and deliver them up to Sir William Johnson" within three months. (3) To cede to His Majesty all their rights in and to a tract of land at Fort Niagara,* being, as described by metes and bounds, about fourteen miles by four miles in extent and including the "great cataract" and Niagara River, or "Strait." (4) To immediately stop all intercourse between any of their people and those of the Shawanese and Delawares, whom they agreed to treat as common enemies. These "Articles" were signed at Johnson Hall (see page 298) April 3, 1764, by Sir William Johnson (as "His Majesty's Sole Agent and Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Parts of America, and Colonel of the Six United Nations, their Allies and Dependents"), by Sayenqueraghta (mentioned on page 415) and by seven other chiefs of the Senecas. The following is a reduced facsimile of a tracing of their signatures, etc., made from the original document now in the "Public Record Office," London.

Given under my Hand it Johnson Hull, the third Day of April Vy 6 Am

Jayaanadie a Sayınqueraghla Wanughsifsae

Haanifes. ChoneJugaw x

Aughnawawis Jaanjaqua

Um Johnson

Sayenqueraghta was at that time, as previously mentioned, chief, or leading, sachem of the Senecas. As indicated by the totemnic device affixed opposite his name, he belonged to the great Turtle clan, the most noble of all the clans of the nation. He lived at Kanadesaga, in later days more commonly known as "Old Castle," situated about two miles north-west from the foot of Seneca Lake, within the present limits of the town of Geneva. It was originally located there about 1756, at which time Sir William Johnson erected a palisade fortification and block- houses, with a view to prevent French influence among the Senecas.

Under date of April 28, 1764, Sir William Johnson, at Jolinson Hall, wrotet :

"Yesterday Captain Montour with some of his party arrived here and brought the scalp taken some time ago by Thomas King's§ party. They say it is that of the chief Delaware's nephew, now our most active and inveterate enemy. They also brought with them one Emanuel Hower, of the Raritans [in New Jersey], taken last Fall by the Dela- wares at Wioming."

We have already mentioned (on page 431) the capture of Emanuel and John Hower and a third man whose name is unknown, on the flats near Mill Creek. Miner states ("History of Wyoming," page 57) that the three were taken by their captors to an Indian town near where Geneva now stands. (It may have been Kanadesaga.) From this town

* See page 298.

/ See "Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York," VII : 629.

# See page 206, ante. ¿ The Oneida chief frequently mentioned hereinbefore.

438

John Hower and the unknown captive escaped, but the dead body of Hower was subsequently found in the woods, he having, without doubt, succumbed to hunger and cold.

May 8, 1764, Governor Colden of New York wrote to the Earl of Halifax :

"By the last letters which I received from Sir William Johnson he makes no doubt of a peace with all the western Indians; and that the Delawares and Shawanese only remain in hostility-against whom he has sent several parties of the Six Nations, who, he expects, will effectually chastise them."

On the 27th of the following June Sir William Johnson arrived at Oswego, on the shore of Lake Ontario, with about 550 Indians of various tribes, and was received by upwards of one hundred Caughnawagas and others whom he had sent forward some days previously. An officer of this expedition writing* from Oswego under date of June 28, 1764, said :

"We are to be joined by 300 Indians of Oneida, Tuscarora and adjacent villages ; so that on Sir William's setting out for Niagara there will be at least 900 Indians (Mohawks, Caughnawagas, Oneidas, Onondagas, [Eastern] Senecas, Cayugas, Tusca- roras, Nanticokes and others) to accompany the troops [numbering 1,196]-which, with 140 now at Niagara, and those who are expected to join us there from the upper nations, will make a larger body than has ever been known to take the field in our favor. A party of Indians has brought in two scalps from the Shawanese, and all our Indians express a great desire to go against those people. The Senecas have sent a great number of English prisoners, who are to be delivered up to us on our way to Niagara, agreeable to their late engagements."

Schoolcraft sayst that three vessels were employed to transport the heavy stores of this expedition from Oswego to the mouth of the Niagara River, and that the troops were conveyed in an iminense num- ber of bateaux, especially built for the purpose-each boat being sufficiently capacious to carry twenty-seven men. "The Indians, in their canoes, followed the extended train of bateaux along the Ontario coasts. They arrived at Niagara in the beginning of July. A large number of Indian tribes had been summoned to a council by Sir William Johnson, who had collected 1,700 Indians at Niagara. Never had such a body of Indians been congregated under his auspices. The council was held in Fort Niagara. Johnson had brought with him the "Preliminary Articles of a 'Treaty of Peace'} The [Western] Senecas, however, whose conduct had been equivocal during the war, did not make their appearance, although their deputies had signed [with Sayenqueraghta] the 'Preliminary Articles' at Johnson Hall. Sir William sent to their villages on the Genesee repeated inessages for them, which were uni- formly answered by promises. But promises would not serve, and con- sequently Colonel Bradstreet authorized the Baronet to send a final message, announcing that if they did not present themselves in five days he would send a force against them and destroy their villages. This brought them to terms, and they immediately attended the con- vention and, at the same time, surrendered their prisoners. A formal treaty of peace was then concluded."

Shortly before Sir William Johnson's expedition to Niagara was organized, Indian affairs on the western frontiers of Pennsylvania had reached a crisis. The Provincial Government, in consequence, "agreed, in order to give encouragement for a inore successful carrying on of the war on the frontiers, to offer a reward for Indian scalps-provided the

* See his letter in The New London Gazette (New London, Connecticut), July 27, 1764.

+ In "History of the Indian Tribes of the United States," VI : 253.

# See page 437.

139

project should be approved by Sir William Johnson." The Baronet was communicated with, and under date of June 18, 1764, he replied : "I cannot but approve of your design to gratify the desire of the people in your Province by offering a bounty on scalps." Whereupon, at a meeting of Governor Pen and the Council held July 7th, it was resolved to issue a proclamation-to be published in the Pennsylvania Gazette-offering a reward of 150 dollars for every inale Indian prisoner who should be delivered to the Government; 138 dollars for every female Indian prisoner ; 134 dollars for the scalp of every male and 50 dollars for the scalp of every female Indian.

In The New London Gazette of September 14, 1764, was printed the following letter from the city of New York, dated September 10th.

"The white people that were delivered up to Sir William Johnson at Niagara arrived here last Monday [September 3d] from Albany, and are now in a room in the barracks of this city. Benjamin Sheppard was taken the 15th of October at Wyoming, Pennsylvania, by the famous 'Captain Bull' (now in our jail), in company with Daniel Baldwin and Jane his wife, Abraham Baldwin, John and Emanuel Hower and one Isaac Hollister. The Indians burnt Daniel Baldwin, and his wife died of hunger at the Genesee town last Winter. John Hower attempted to make his escape, but was found dead in the woods, having lost his way. Emanuel Hower got off. Abraham Baldwin was murdered, and Sheppard would have been murdered also had not 'Captain Bull' persuaded the Indians to the contrary ; however, 'Bull' with his own hands gave him a severe whipping. Sheppard says there are yet a great many prisoners at the Indian towns."

As to what was ultimately done with "Captain Bull" and the thirteen other Indian prisoners who were confined in the jail at New York-from early in March until, at least, the middle of September, 1764-we have been unable to learn. We are able, however, to give the following interesting account of the experiences of Isaac Hollister (previously mentioned), while in captivity among the Indians. Upon his release in 1767 Hollister wrote a "Brief Narrative of the Captivity of Isaac Hollister, who was taken by the Indians, A. D. 1763." This was published the same year at New London, Connecticut, in pamphlet forin, and, so far as known, the only copy now in existence is in The Library of Congress, at Washington. Prior to the production of their respective works none of the early historians of Wyoming had seen or read this narrative. The writer, after describing the descent upon the settlement at Mill Creek October 15, 1763, by the Indians, and their murder of his father and his brother, says :

"The Indians, after they had burnt and destroyed all they could, marched off, and carried me up the Susquehanna River 150 miles to a town called by them Wethouounque; and when we had arrived there they tied me with a rope about my neck, and an Indian was ordered to lead nie while others beat ine with their fists. This they continued to do until I ran about a quarter of a mile. When I arrived at one of their huts they tied me to one of the spars of the hut, where I remained all that night. The next day they let me loose, but would not let me go out of their sight. Here I tarried about three months, in which time I underwent many hardships, and had like to have famished with hunger and cold-having nothing to cover me but an old coat and an old blanket which was almost worn out. My employment was to fetch wood every day, upon my back, half a mile, which made me almost weary of my life.

"At this place was brought a young Dutchman, who was taken at the same time and place that I was, and when we had convenient opportunity we laid our heads together to contrive an escape. To this end we stole everything we could, without being discovered, and hid it in the hollow of an old log. It was about the latter end of March, as near as I can judge, *

* when we had got together about forty ears of corn and six cakes of bread each, about the bigness of a hand. * * The next day about noon we (the Dutchman and I) were sent after wood at the usual place, when, instead of returning back, we set out with a design to reach the nearest English settle- ment we could. We ran all the afternoon until evening, when we made a stop and built a fire, where we remained during the night."

440

These two fugitives traveled for a number of days, during which they suffered many hardships on account of hunger and cold-the weather being extremely severe. Finally the Dutchman succumbed and died, and, says Hollister :

"The evening before his death he told me that if he died first he would not have me afraid to eat of his flesh, 'for I am determined,' said he, 'to eat of yours if you should * die before me.' * · * I thought the absolute necessity I was in would excuse my pursuing the advice he gave me, of eating his flesh as soon as he died. I went immedi- ately about performing the disagreeable operation, and cut off five or six pounds of his legs and thighs. I left the rest and made the best way I could down the creek [which emptied into the Susquehanna]. I had not traveled but four days before I arrived at an Indian town, where I was soon discovered ; and being taken up by them they conveyed me to one of their huts."

Hollister was given parched corn to eat at this village, but on the day following his arrival there the Indians vacated the place and removed to the very town whence Hollister had escaped. Here many of the Indians wanted to burn him at the stake, but a council being held it was concluded that on account of his youth he should not be put to death, but be whipped on his naked body. The next day, having been stripped of all his clothing, he was ordered to run the gantlet .* He had run about 600 feet-meanwhile being switched with whips and thumped with clubs-when an uncommonly vicious blow felled him, gashed and bleeding, to the ground. Thereupon an old squaw ran to his relief and dragged him to her hut. Proceeding with his narrative Hollister says :

"I tarried here about fourteen days, and then they sent me to the Senecas, about 150 miles off .; I lived here one year, in which time I suffered almost insurmountable hardships. For the most part of the time we had nothing but ground-nuts and herbs to subsist upon in Summer, and red plums in Winter. Several of the Indians actually starved to death."

From this place Hollister was carried to Allegany, in south-western New York, and thence to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg, Pennsylvania). There he remained about one month, when he was taken down the Ohio River some 300 miles to an Indian town, where he was kept three or four months-in which time he was well cared for and provided with necessary food and clothing. Then there came a messenger from Sir William Johnson with an order that all prisoners should be released without delay. After the Indians had stripped Hollister of almost everything he had he was turned over to a guide, who conducted him to Fort Pitt, where he was delivered up to the commanding officer. At that place he remained eleven months; then he was sent to Phila- delphia, and, after three months spent there, finally reached New Lon- don-to the great joy of his mother, brothers and sisters, from whom he had been separated for three years and six inonths.

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A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I, Part 72

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray Publication date: 1909-1930 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press Number of Pages: 734

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909-1930
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 734