A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 101

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press]
Number of Pages: 683

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. II > Part 101

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In July, 1791, under the commission previously referred to, Colonel Pickering proceeded from Wilkes-Barre to Newtown (now Elmira), New York, where he held a treaty with upwards of 1,000 Six Nation Indians. The treaty was held at Newtown instead of at Painted Post, as originally intended, on account of the low water in the Chemung River, and the consequent inability of the boatmen to get the canoes laden with goods for the treaty up the river to Painted Post. One of the Slocums from Wilkes-Barre-William probably-attended this treaty, where he met Joseph Smith, the Interpreter, mentioned on page

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1129. Mr. Smith, in the course of his travels among the Six Nation and other Indians during the previous six or eight months, had made careful inquiries relative to Frances Slocum, but he had no information to impart to her brother.

In 1797 Isaac Slocum and three of his brothers started from Wilkes- Barré on another search, taking with them a drove of cattle and a quan- tity of dry-goods. When they arrived at Seneca Lake, New York, three of the brothers put the goods in an open boat and set out for Queenston, while Isaac drove the cattle thither. Meeting there they proceeded together to Chippewa, where they again parted-Isaac driving the cattle through Canada to Detroit, while the others went by water. In order to appreciate the trials and sufferings of these brothers in search of their sister, it must be recollected that the Canadas and the north-western part of the United States were, in 1797, little else than an unbroken wilderness, inhabited by wild beasts and savage tribes, with here and there a trading-post or a fort. On this trip through the Canadas the Slocums made a diligent search through the different tribes, and finally called together five Indian traders, to whom they offered a reward of $300. if they would find their lost sister and bring her to Detroit. But they met with no success, and were compelled to return to Wilkes-Barre disheartened and discouraged.

This was the last effort made by the Slocums to find their sister during the life of their mother. About ten years later the latter died- in her last hours impressing upon the minds of her sons her desire that they should not give up the search for Frances so long as there remain- ed a possible chance of recovering her, or learning the story of her fate. During the years following the death of Mrs. Slocum the surviving chil- dren of the family did not forget the dying request of their mother. They were constantly on the alert, and letters of inquiry were written to, and information sought from, persons dwelling in the West and Canada. But still no clue could be obtained. Finally, when the mis- sion among the Wyandot Indians became a matter of public interest, and the report came to the ears of the Slocums that one of the principal chiefs of this nation had a white woman for his wife, the possibility of this wife being Frances Slocum induced Joseph Slocum, of Wilkes- Barré, attended by one of his nephews, to make a visit to the mission in the year 1826. The two men made a weary and expensive journey to the Upper Sandusky, where they found the white wife of the Wyandot chief ; but they soon became convinced that she was not the woman they were seeking.

Early in January, 1835, Col. George W. Ewing (who, since 1830, had conducted an Indian trading-post at Logansport, Indiana, where he carried on an extensive business) went on a trading trip up the Missis- sineva River. Being belated, and darkness coming on about the time he reached " Deaf Man's Village," he applied at the house of Mac-on-a- quah (Frances Slocum)-whom he had known well for several years- for accommodation for the night. The old lady was then in the sixty- second year of her life, but, owing to the rigors and hardships which she had experienced, she appeared to be seventy or eighty years of age. "She provided me with a good supper," stated Colonel Ewing subse- quently, in giving an account of his visit, "and ordered wood to be piled on the big hearth, which surprised me, as our supper was over,

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and the Indian bed-time had arrived. After sitting a half hour or so, and talking over ordinary matters about her family, her crops and her cattle, I told her that I would retire to my bed. [Colonel Ewing was very familiar with the Miami language, and could converse in it fluently.] She said, 'No, I have something on my mind. I am old and weak. shan't live long, and I must tell it. I can't die in peace if I don't.'" She then, after a long pause and with much hesitancy, related the story of her life as well as she could remember it. When she had completed the narrative she exclaimed : "There, now, I can die! Oh ! you don't know how this has troubled me."

The recital of Mac-on-a-quah's story greatly interested Colonel Ewing, and the more he thought over it the more he became impressed with its mystery. In the morning he mounted his horse and prepared to set out on his journey for Logansport, distant some twenty-five miles. In accordance with Indian custom his hostess and her family refused to receive any compensation for his entertainment. He bade them fare- well with much feeling, and as he rode homeward he determined to inake some effort to discover the white relatives of Mac-on-a-quah. After much reflection he concluded to write to some one in the interior of Pennsylvania, but as he knew no one there he was forced to abandon that idea. He then wrote a letter and addressed it to the postmaster at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, thinking that as it was an old and important town, near the Susquehanna River, the postmaster might know if any child had been captured and carried away by Indians in earlier days. This letter reached its destination and was read by the postmaster, Mrs. Mary Dickson, who was also the owner of The Intelligencer of Lancas- ter. Strange as it may seem, she took no interest in the letter, and, having thrown it aside, it lay for two years among a lot of old letters and papers which were deemed worthless. It was then discovered by a person connected with the post-office, who at once recognized its import- ance.

At that time The Intelligencer had been sold by Mrs. Dickson, and in March, 1837, John W. Forney* had become one of its- editors and publishers. To him the letter was handed by its finder, and Forney at once published it in The Intelligencer. This was in July, 1837. The Rev. Samuel Bowmant (later Assistant Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania) had then been for a number of years Rector of St. James' Church, Lancaster. He was a native of Wilkes-Barre, having been born here in 1800, within a stone's throw of the home of Mrs. Ruth ( Tripp) Slocum. He had spent the first twenty-two years of his life in Wilkes- Barré, and he knew several of the members of the Slocum family, and was familiar with the story of the capture of Frances Slocum and the fruitless efforts of her brothers to find her. Immediately upon the pub- lication of Colonel Ewing's letter the Rev. Mr. Bowman mailed a copy of The Intelligencer containing it to Joseph Slocum, at Wilkes-Barre. It may be readily imagined how greatly the members of the Slocum family were stirred up by this letter. It was republished in the Wyo- ming Republican and Farmer's Herald (Kingston) and the Republican

* JOHN W. FORNEY was a native of Lancaster. About 1850 he became prominent in the news- paper world and as a politician. For twenty years he was editor of The Philadelphia Press, for sev- eral years he was Clerk of the National House of Representatives, and then Secretary of the Senate. In his "Anecdotes" (I : 208) -published twenty-five or thirty years ago-he makes mention of the discovery of Frances Slocum.

t See a subsequent chapter for his portrait and a sketch of his life. .

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Farmer and Democratic Journal (Wilkes-Barre) of August 16, 1837, and was read and discussed with great interest in every household in the valleys of Wyoming and Lackawanna. The letter-prefaced with the editorial comments of Mr. Forney-as originally published in The Intelligencer and as republished in the Wyoming Valley newspapers, reads as follows :

"IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE .- The following letter, handed to us by a citizen of this place [Lancaster], was received two years since, but by some means has never before found its way to the public eye. The developments made are worthy of serious attention, even at this late day-although the subject of the epistle may be no more. The satisfac- tion which may be afforded to her descendants [sic] will undoubtedly be very great, and we hope such of our brethren as may feel any interest in the affair will give publicity to the letter; and those who are aware of the existence of such a family as the SLOKUMS (a name quite familiar with us), and the place of their residence, will please signify the same by addressing a line to the editors of this paper. We have only to repeat our regret that the recipient of the letter did not, immediately after its arrival, give the whole to the public. A better opportunity would then have been afforded to the descend- ants [sic] then living (as possibly some of them may have died since) of discovering the object of the philanthropic writer's solicitude.

" LOGANSPORT, INDIANA, January 20, 1835.

"Dear Sir: In the hope that some good may result from it, I have taken this means of giving to your fellow-citizens-say the descendants of the early settlers of the Susquehanna-the following information; and if there be any now living whose name is SLOKUM, to them I hope the following may be communicated through the public prints of your place.

" There is now living near this place, among the Miami tribe of Indians, an aged white woman, who, a few days ago, told me that she was taken away from her father's house, on or near the Susquehanna River, when she was very young-say from five to eight years old, as she thinks-by the Delaware Indians, who were then hostile towards the whites. She says her father's name was SLOKUM; that he was a Quaker, rather small in stature, and wore a large brimmed hat; was of sandy hair and light complexion, and much freckled; that he lived about half a mile from a town where there was a fort ;* that they lived in a wooden house of two stories high, and had a spring near the house. "She says three Delawares came to the house in the day-time, when all were absent but herself and, perhaps, two smaller children; her father and brothers were absent making hay. The Indians carried her off. and she was adopted into a family of Delawares, who raised her and treated her as their own child. They died about forty years ago, somewhere in Ohio. She then was married to a Miami, by whom she had four children; two only of them are now living; they are both daughters, and she lives with them. Her husband is dead; she is old and feeble, and thinks she will not live long. These considerations induced her to give the present history of herself, which she never would [give] before, fearing her kindred would come and force her away. She has lived long and happy as an Indian, and but for her color would not be suspected for being anything else than such. She is very respectable and wealthy, sober and honest. Her name is without reproach.

"She says her father had a large family- say eight children in all ; six older than herself, one younger, as well as she can recollect. She doubts not there are yet living many of their descendants ; but seems to think that all her brothers and sisters must be dead, as she is very old herself-not far from eighty years old. She thinks she was taken prisoner before the two last wars, which must mean the Revolutionary War, as Wayne's War and the late war have been since that one. She has entirely lost her mother-tongue, and she speaks only in Indian, which I also understand, and she gave me a full history of herself. Her own Christian name she has forgotten. Her father's name was SLOKUM, and he was a Quaker. She also recollects that it was upon the Susquehanna River that they lived, but doesn't recollect the name of the town near which they lived. I have thought that from this letter you might cause something to be inserted in the newspapers of your country, that might possibly catch the eye of some of the descendants of the SLOKUM family who have a knowledge of a girl having been car- ried off by the Indians some seventy years ago. This they might know from family tra- dition. If so, and they will come here, I will carry them where they will see the subject of my letter, alive and happy, though old and far advanced in life.

" I can form no idea whereabouts upon the Susquehanna River this family could have lived at that early period, namely, about the time of the Revolutionary War; but perhaps you can ascertain more about it. If so, I hope you will interest yourself and, if possible, let her brothers and sisters, if any be alive (and if not, their children), know

* In 1777 and 1778 when Frances Slocum lived in Wilkes-Barre there were very few houses in the upper end of the town-plot. The majority of the houses were below the present Market Street. As shown on page 1121, the Slocum house was upwards of half a mile from Fort Wyoming.

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where they may once more see a relative whose fate has been wrapped in mystery for seventy years, and for whom her bereaved and afflicted parents doubtless shed many a bitter tear. They have long since found their graves, though their lost child they never found. I have been much affected with this disclosure, and hope the surviving friends may obtain, through your goodness, the information I desire for them. If I can be of any service to them, they may command me. In the mean time I hope you will excuse me for the freedom I have taken with you, a total stranger ; and believe me to be, Sir, with much respect, " Your most obedient Servant,

[Signed] "GEORGE W. EWING."

Jonathan J. Slocum of Wilkes-Barre, son of Joseph Slocum, imme- diately wrote to Colonel Ewing relative to his two-year old letter which had just been brought to the attention of the Slocums, and informed him that steps would be taken immediately to investigate the matter. Under the date of August 26, 1837, Colonel Ewing wrote from Logans- port to Jonathan J. Slocum in part as follows :

"The female I spoke of in January, 1835, is still alive; nor can I for a moment doubt but that she is the identical relative that has been so long lost to your family. I feel much gratified to think that I have been thus instrumental in disclosing to yourself and friends such facts in relation to her as will enable you to visit her and satisfy your- selves more fully. She recovered from the temporary illness by which she was afflicted about the time I spent the night with her in January, 1835, and which was, no doubt, the cause that induced her to speak so freely of her early captivity. Although she is now, by long habit, an Indian, and her manners and customs precisely theirs, yet she will doubt- less be happy to see any of you, and I, myself, will take great pleasure in accompanying you to the house. Should you come out for that purpose, I advise you to repair directly to this place ; and should it so happen that I should be absent at the time, you will find others who can take you to her. Bring with you this letter ; show it to James T. Miller of Peru, Indiana-a small town not far from this place. He knows her well. He speaks the Miami tongue, and will accompany you if I should not be at home."

As speedily as possible it was arranged that Joseph Slocum, accom- panied by one of his nephews, should proceed from Wilkes-Barre to Ohio and join his sister, Mrs. Mary Towne, who lived in the central part of the State, and then proceed with her, by private conveyance, to Indiana. Isaac Slocum, who, as mentioned on page 1116, was living in Sandusky County, Ohio, was to meet his brother and sister somewhere near the home of their supposed sister in Indiana. This was in September, 1837. Isaac Slocum, who lived less than 200 miles from Peru, Indiana, pro- ceeded to that place, where he arrived in advance of his brother and sister. Becoming impatient at the delay caused by their non-arrival, he hunted up James T. Miller, and with him proceeded to "Deaf Man's Village." By that time the story of Mac-on-a-quah, or Frances Slocum, had become well known in Peru, and it excited almost as much interest and comment there as in Wyoming Valley. The following account of the visit of Messrs. Slocum and Miller to " Deaf Man's Village " was printed in the Peru Forester, of about the 20th of September, 1837, but has never heretofore been reprinted in any of the books which have been published about Frances Slocum.

"A few evenings ago Mr. Isaac Slocum, a younger brother of Frances, arrived in town from his residence in Sandusky County, Ohio, and in company with James T. Miller of this place, interpreter, proceeded to the place of her residence, known by the appellation of 'Deaf Man's Village,' about nine miles above Peru, on the Mississineva River. Mr. Slocum, on the way, remarked to his guide that if the woman ( Frances) was really his sister he would recognize her by a scar upon the forefinger of her left hand, caused by a blow from a hammer upon an anvil, while at play with her brother before she was taken captive ; but he knew not in what other way he should be able to convince either her or himself of the relationship which subsisted between them.

"Mr. Miller proceeded to the house alone, in order to prepare the old lady for the reception of her brother ; but found her unwilling to believe that such a thing could be. She recalled many of the circumstances which attended her capture-that she had a father, mother, brothers and sisters, but supposed that they were all long since dead. The brother at length entered the house, and, gazing upon the changed appearance of

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Frances, involuntarily exclaimed, 'Good God ! is this my sister?' Then grasping her hand he drew it toward the light and beheld the scar-the identical scar which he had described ! He was then satisfied, but Frances was still unwilling to believe Mr. Slocum to be her brother. Mr. Miller, at the request of Mr. Slocum, interrogated her in the Indian language (as she speaks or understands no other) concerning the scar upon her finger, and she related the same story which her brother had told him on their way; and finally, before they separated, Frances was satisfied to acknowledge Isaac to be her own brother, but expressed no inclination to leave her wigwam to partake of the com- forts of his hospitable mansion.

"Mr. Slocum is exceedingly anxious to prevail upon her to accompany him to Ohio, where he now resides, and to Pennsylvania, the land of their fathers, but he informs us that his efforts to do so will prove abortive. * * * Mr. Slocum informs us that while in Canada forty years ago with his brothers they offered some traders the sum of $300. if they would only give intelligence of Frances. He also states that his brother Joseph, and sister, Mrs. Mary Towne, will be here in a few days, and that he will await their arrival. Mr. Slocum bears the appearance of a gentleman of the first respectability, and in conversation often alludes to the horrible scenes which transpired on the banks of the Susquehanna during the days of his boyhood. He is now sixty-two years old, in apparent good health."

Messrs. Slocum and Miller returned to Peru, where, after several days' waiting on their part, they were joined on September 21st by Joseph Slocum, his nephew, and Mrs. Towne. Preparations were almost immediately made to proceed to " Deaf Man's Village." Miller, the interpreter, a young man from Pennsylvania named Fulwiler, who had recently settled in Peru, and an Indian half-breed, named Hunt, who had been educated in Kentucky, accompanied the Slocums thither. Mrs. Towne, being in ill health, remained behind at Peru. Taking the Indian path the party soon came to the first Indian village on the Mis- sissineva, a short distance above its junction with the Wabash. Here a remnant of the Miami tribe lived in small cabins. At this point the path turned to the left from the river, and proceeded to the residence of Francis Godfroy, who had succeeded She-po-con-ah, the husband of Frances Slocum, as war-chief of the Miamis. His settlement consisted of five or six two-story log houses within an enclosure of about half an acre, situated on a rising piece of ground not far from the Wabash River. Here Godfroy's great store, or trading-post, was located. A gate- way admitted the travelers to the buildings of the establishment, and on entering the main building the interpreter introduced the several members of the party to the Chief and informed him of their errand. He received them with great dignity and politeness, and proffered them every assistance in his power to facilitate the success of their mission.

After a pleasant visit the Slocums and their companions took leave of Chief Godfroy, and then hastened on about four miles. Having forded the Mississineva again, they entered " Deaf Man's Village." On the outskirts they met the Indian husband of the younger daughter of Mac-on-a-quah, who mounted his pony and conducted the party to his mother-in-law's dwelling. This was a large story-and-a-half log house, or, rather, two houses joined together by a shed, and it stood on the brink of the river. When the Slocum party entered the dwelling they found Mac-on-a-quah quietly sitting in a chair, with her two daughters and the husband-"Capt." Jean Baptiste Brouillette-of the elder daughter in the room with her. The visitors were received formally, if not coldly, and after the ceremony of introduction by the interpreter, Mac-on-a-quah did not seem disposed to converse freely. In a short time, however, she relaxed somewhat, and gave a brief account of her family and the circumstances of her capture; but seemed utterly unmoved, and not free from suspicion that there was some plan in opera-

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tion to take her away or rob her of what she possessed. During the interview Isaac and Joseph Slocum paced the floor in great agitation. Their Indian sister, however, did not change a feature of her countenance, shed a tear, or show any emotion whatever.

As mentioned by Colonel Ewing in his first letter, Mac-on-a-quak had forgotten her Christian name. Her brothers had not been with her long when one of them asked her if she could remember it if she would hear it mentioned. Her answer was, "It is a long time; I do not know." "Was it Frances?" she was asked. Something like emotion immediately agitated her impassive features, and it was evident that an idea was struggling through the dark recesses of her mind. Then a smile lit up her countenance, and she answered, "Mi, França, França !" The painful situation changed a little, but very slowly. When the con- versation was concluded Frances went about her work, apparently with as much indifference as though nothing of interest had happened. Returning from a stroll about the premises a little later, the visitors found her seated on the floor scraping and manipulating a deer-skin, in order to prepare it for use. Finally it was time for the visitors to depart, and they proposed to Frances that she and her family should accompany them to Peru. She declined to give them a positive answer until she had ridden over to the house of Chief Godfroy and consulted him about the matter. He advised her to comply with the request, assuring her that she would be in no danger from the respectable strangers. The advice of the Chief gave her confidence, and shortly afterwards the whole party set out for Peru, where Mrs. Towne awaited them. Before return- ing home that night Frances promised that on the next day she would visit her brothers and sister again.

True to her promise Frances came to Peru early on the following day, accompanied by her two daughters and "Captain" Brouillette, and they spent the greater part of the day with their Slocum relatives. Upon this occasion Frances gave a more complete and detailed account of her capture and wanderings than she had previously given. This was trans- lated by Messrs. Miller and Hunt, and was committed to writing by Joseph Slocum's nephew. At the conclusion of her story she was asked if she would not accompany her brother Joseph back to her old home in Wilkes-Barre. "No, I cannot," was the firm reply. "I have always lived with the Indians; they have always used me very kindly; I am used to them. The Great Spirit has always allowed me to live with them, and I wish to live and die with them. * * I should have died sooner if I had left them. My husband and my two boys are buried here, and I cannot leave them. On his dying day my husband charged me not to leave the Indians. I have a house and large lands, two daughters, three grand-children, and everything to make me comfortable; why should I go, and be like a fish out of water ?"

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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. II, Part 101

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press] Number of Pages: 683

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press]
Number of Pages: 683