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 early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume I > Part 59
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still stands. He called his plantation "Tinian," and there he made his home until his death, which occurred October 5, 1793. His wife died there September 17, 1784. They were the parents of seven chil- dren, the eldest of whom, Sarah Burd, became the wife of Judge Jasper Yeates of Lancaster County. Edward Shippen Burd, the second child, who was married to his cousin Sarah Shippen, as previously noted, was a Major in the American army during the Revolutionary War. Mary Shippen Burd, third child of Col. James and Sarah (Shippen) Burd, became the wife of Peter Grubb of Lancaster County.
Joseph Shippen, sixth child of Edward and Sarah (Plumley) Shippen, was born at Philadelphia October 30, 1732, and was graduated at Princeton College in 1753. In 1756 he was commissioned Captain of a company in the Second Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment, later commanded by his brother-in-law, Colonel Burd. May 28, 1758, he was promoted Major of this Battalion, and later in that year he took part in the expedition commanded by General Forbes (see § below). In 1759 he was with the army of General Stanwix (mentioned on page 316). In the Spring of 1760 he went to Europe, returning to Penn- sylvania in the Autumn of 1761. The next year he was appointed to succeed the Rev. Richard Peters (mentioned on page 262) as Secretary of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania, and this office he held for a number of years. About 1773 he removed to Chester County, and in 1789 was appointed Judge of the Courts of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. September 29, 1768, he was married to Jane, daughter of John Galloway of Maryland. Colonel Shippen died February 10, 1810.
For other matters of interest concerning the various members of the Shippen and Burd families see Hazard's Register of Pennsylvania, IV : 241 (October 17, 1829) ; Pennsylvania Magazine of History, XXIV : 257, et seq., and Egle's Historical Register of Pennsylvania, II : 214.
* JAMES GALBRAITH was the son of James Galbraith, Sr., of Scots-Irish descent and an early settler on the banks of Swatara Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. James Galbraith, the younger, was elected Sheriff of Lancaster County in 1742 and '43. He was a Justice of the Peace for many years, and took an active part in protecting the settlers of the County from the onslaught of the savages in 1755. In 1760 he removed from the Swatara to Pennsborough Township. Cumberland County. During the Revolu- tion he was appointed County Lieutenant for Cumberland County, but being too aged for active duty he served as an adviser to others who did the routine work of the office. Every one of his sons became prominent on the side of the patriots in the Revolutionary War. His wife was the only daughter of the Rev. William Bertram, who had settled near the Swatara in 1757.
+ See "The Shippen Papers" (Philadelphia, 1855), page 99.
Į The Rev. Charles Beatty having declined the appointment tendered him, Henry Pawling was named in his stead ; but he, it seems, either refused or failed to act with the other Commissioners.
¿ HUGH MERCER was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1720. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, became a physician, and later was appointed an Assistant Surgeon in the army of Prince Charles Edward-in which capacity he took part in the battle of Culloden in 1745. He immigrated to America in 1747 and settled near what is now Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He served as Captain under Col. George Washington in the Braddock expedition in 1755, and was wounded in the shoulder at the battle of the Monongahela. Being pursued by Indians he found refuge in the hollow trunk of a tree, and then wandered alone through the wilderness one hundred miles to Fort Cumberland.
In August, 1756, Lieut. Col. John Armstrong (previously mentioned), commanding the "First Bat- talion of the Pennsylvania Regiment," was appointed to lead an expedition against the hostile Delaware and Shawanese Indians at Kittanning on the Allegheny River. One of the Captains in the "First Battal- ion" was Hugh Mercer, and at the close of the campaign he was presented by the corporation of Philadel- phia with a medal, "for his gallantry and military skill proved in a distinguished degree by his destruction of the Indian settlement at Kittanning." December 4, 1757-a few days after his return with the Commis- sioners to Fort Augusta from Wyoming-he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel of the "First Battalion," to succeed John Armstrong, who had been promoted Colonel. In 1758 he accompanied Gen. John Forbes on his expedition into western Pennsylvania, and for some time was in command of Fort Pitt. (See note, page 308.) In June, 1760, he was still Lieutenant Colonel of the "First Battalion." Later he retired to private life and resumed the practise of medicine-locating at Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he con- tinued to reside till the breaking out of the Revolutionary War. He was married to Ann Gordon, of Vir- ginia, who bore him three sons and one daughter.
Colonel Mercer organized and helped to drill the Virginia militia in 1775, and the minute-men the next year. He was then appointed Colonel of the Third Regiment of Virginia. In June, 1776, at the sug-
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officers upon this service. The bateaux are to be employed in carrying provisions, tools, etc., for this expedition to Wyoming. The Commissioners will be here on Friday [Octo- ber 28th], and are to make no delay ; therefore I am sent up with orders from the Governor to detain all the bateaux at Hunter's till they come up. But upon consulting with Cap- tains [John] Hambright and Mercer I have concluded it is most prudent to suffer the bateaux to go up to Augusta with the present loading, as you will be in great want of salt."
After his interview with the Governor and Council (mentioned on page 358) Teedyuscung returned to Bethlehem, where he remained with his wife and young children (the family being maintained by the Mora- vian Brethren at the expense of the Province) until October 7th, when he again went to Philadelphia .. There he spent four or five days, during which he was informed by the Governor of the appointment of the Wyoming Commissioners. Teedyuscung was also present at a confer- ence between the Governor and several Cherokee, Mohawk and Seneca deputies, with whom the Governor was negotiating in order to secure their aid to gain over certain tribes to the English cause. Again repair- ing to Bethlehem Teedyuscung remained there until October 27th, when, accompanied by twenty other Indians, presumably Wanamies- among whom were his half-brother "Captain Harris," John Pompshire. and Moses Tatemy-he set out for Wyoming. The valley was then, and had been for some time previously, wholly unoccupied.
On November 3d John Hughes, Edward Shippen and James Gal- braith, three of the Wyoming Commissioners, wrote to Governor Denny from the fort at Hunter's Mill as follows : .
"The company from Weiser's battalion has not come, but we have agreed to set off this day with Captain Mercer's company and a party of fifty men who came down with the bateaux from Fort Augusta ; having left directions for that company [of Weiser's battalion ] to follow us immediately."
A few days later the Commissioners mentioned above, convoyed by about 150 officers and men of the Provincial forces, under the command of Captains Joseph Shippen, Hugh Mercer and another whose name has not been ascertained, set out from Fort Augusta for Wyoming. In a number of bateaux and canoes, manned by some of the Provincials, were conveyed tools and provisions for the use of the expedition, while the Commissioners, and the troops not detailed to duty in connection with the boats, marched on horseback and on foot over the old Indian trail leading from Shamokin to Wyoming. When the expedition had arrived within a few miles of Wyoming it was met by Teedyuscung, accom- panied by some of his people, who "showed the way to the spot he had pitched upon for the town," and said he desired the Commissioners "not to erect a fort, but only some houses."* The site selected by Teedyus- cung for the erection of these houses was the one, lying within the present
gestion of General Washington he was commissioned by Congress a Brigadier General in the Continental army and assigned to the command of the flying camp. He accompanied Washington in the retreat through New Jersey, led the column of attack at the battle of Trenton, and advised the night march on Princeton (January 3, 1777), in which he commanded the advance. General Mercer's brigade marched some distance, and only discovered the enemy when turning the buildings behind which the latter (three regiments of British) were posted, and then they were not more than fifty yards off. Mercer, with great courage, immediately formed his men and poured in a heavy fire upon the enemy ; but the latter, being greatly superior in numbers, returned the fire and charged bayonets. In the fierce onset Mercer had his horse shot under him, and was himself felled to the ground by a blow from the butt end of a musket. Although surrounded by the British he arose and, refusing to surrender, defended himself with his sword ; but, after a brief struggle, in which he was repeatedly bayonetted, he fell to the ground mortally wounded. He was then removed to a neighboring farm-house within the enemy's lines. In the meantime his brigade, which had been effectually broken up, had begun a disorderly retreat, but Washington having rallied it and Cadwaleder's brigade, they inoved forward and began a very heavy platoon fire on the march. Soon after the battle Washington, receiving news of General Mercer's condition, despatched to General Corn- wallis a flag of truce with the request that the bearer thereof-Maj. George Lewis, Washington's nephew and aide-de-camp-be allowed to remain with and care for Mercer. This was permitted ; but after several days of suffering the General died on the 12th of January. His funeral at Philadelphia was attended by 30,000 people. Later the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia erected a monument to his memory in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
* See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, III : 318.
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limits of the Tenth Ward of Wilkes-Barré (as described on page 310), upon which had stood the wigwams of himself and his tribesmen prior to their desertion of the valley in the previous year. The business of erecting the houses was immediately begun, all the work being performed by a detail of the Provincials, while the remainder of the force did guard and picket duty, fearing an incursion of hostile Indians.
The Commissioners subsequently reported to Governor Denny that, after they had listened to Teedyuscung's desires, they set the men to work ; and, when they had "covered in two houses and set up six more," Teedyuscung let the Commissioners know "he was satisfied, as he in- tended to go to Bethlehem immediately and live there all Winter, in which time he thought it not improbable but some straggling, ill-affected Indian might burn them down. However, be that as it might, he designed to return in the Spring and settle there, when he would have the business completed." It was now about the 20th of November, and the Commissioners, escorted by the Provincials, departed without delay for Fort Augusta, leaving the houses in possession of Teedyuscung and his Indians .* The latter did not remain here very long, however, but set out for Bethlehem, whence Teedyuscung, Moses Tatemy and John Pompshire proceeded to Philadelphia, where, on December 1st, they were admitted to an interview with the Governor and Council. Tee- dyuscung then said :
"When the Commissioners arrived at Wyoming there were but thirteen Indians there. I advised with the Commissioners whether it would not be better if they only began to build some houses now and would finish them in the Spring. They agreed with me. The Indians were all out hunting, so we all left and returned home."
Teedyuscung and his two companions then left Philadelphia for Burlington, New Jersey, "on business," having first received from the Governor of Pennsylvania a passport and an order on the Indian Com- missioners to pay the King "£10 for his journey, and something proper for Pompshire and Moses Tatemy." Teedyuscung having previously signified to the Moravian Brethren at Bethlehem his desire to spend the Winter at Bethlehem, permission for him and his family to do so was reluctantly granted. Therefore, upon his return from New Jersey, a lodge was built for him near "The Crown" inn. "There he held court and gave audience to the wild embassies that would come from the Indian country-from the land of the implacable Monsey, from the gates of Diahoga and from the ultimate dim Thule of Allegheny or the Ohio country." In addition to Teedyuscung and his family nearly one hundred Indians spent the Winter of 1757-'58 in the neighborhood of "The Crown," states Loskiel. Reichel says ("Memorials," page 215):
"Government was imposing an additional burden upon the Brethren when it com- mitted this lawless crowd to their keeping ; and although aware of this, its assurance that their knowledge of Indian character rendered them desirable custodians, and that at Bethlehem the hated Indians would be safe, outweighed all other considerations. In vain did the Brethren deprecate this measure as one that was likely to cause them serious in- convenience, to prove hurtful to the welfare of the Christian Indians, and to involve themselves in difficulties with their neighbors. Their repeated appeals to the Governor, to the Assembly and to the Commissioners for relief were ineffectual. 'We are at a loss how to act,' Bishop Spangenberg writes to Governor Denny, 'with those Indians that come out of the woods and want to stay at Bethlehem. They are very troublesome guests, and we should be glad to have your Honor's orders about them. Our houses are already full, and we must be at the expense of building winter houses for them if more should come-which likely will be the case if we are to believe the accounts of those who are here. Furthermore, we are told that some of our neighbors are growing uneasy at our
* See "Pennsylvania Archives," Second Series, XVIII : 699.
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receiving such murdering Indians, as they style them. I fear we shall be obliged to set watches to keep such of them off as are disposed to quarrel with, or may attempt to hurt, any of them.''
At a meeting of the Governor and Council in Philadelphia January 18, 1758, Teedyuscung, his son John Jacob, his counselor Tapescawen and other Indians attending without were summoned to the Council- room, where the King said : "I entreat you to enable me to make the fire enkindled at Easton blaze up high, that it may be the better seen by all the Indians, and that they may be brought to join in this good work-which will be attended with expense ; and this, as I have it not myself, must be provided by you." The Governor then addressed a letter to the Indian Commissioners, as follows : "Teedyuscung, in coming on this visit, has incurred expenses for himself and company, with their horses, which you will please defray." This was given to the King, and, with his retinue, he departed very well pleased. At this time William Edmonds, the Storekeeper at Bethlehem, acquainted the Governor with the fact that the law allowed an Indian "but one-half a gill of rum in twelve hours, except at treaties ; but when Teedyuscung brings intelligence to Bethlehem it is impossible to avoid giving him more." Mr. Edmonds desired "to receive orders on this head."
Under date of January 20, 1758, Col. James Burd, at Fort Augusta, wrote to Capt. Joseph Shippen, at Lancaster, as follows* :
"Since January 1st several small parties of Delaware Indians have arrived here with skins to trade at the store.t *
* Job Chilloway, brother to Bill Chilloway, came here t'other day from the Munsey country, at the heads of the Cayuga Branch, above Diahoga. He was born and bred at Egg Harbor [New Jersey], is a very sensible fellow, and speaks the English language perfectly well. He appears to be a strict friend to the English interest. His releasing Armstrong's wife from the enemy Indians last Summer, and the prudent precautions he used in sending her here, is a confirmation of my good opinion of him. He assures me that the only Indians on the Susquehanna who are our enemies are those of the Munsey nation, and they are determined to continue the war against the English."
On Saturday, March 11, 1758, Teedyuscung made his appearance in Philadelphia with three Indian deputies from Tioga. Notified of their presence in the city the Governor, on Monday morning, sent his compliments to them by Secretary Peters, who, by a string of wampum, "wiped the snow out of their eyes and ears, cleansed their throats," etc. Twelve o'clock of that day was fixed upon as the time for their reception by the Governor ; but a little before that hour Moses Tatemy and Isaac Still,¿ interpreters for Teedyuscung, came with a message from the latter to the Governor, to the effect that the deputies had very weighty matters to communicate, and he (Teedyuscung) would bring his clerk, Charles Thomson, with him to the interview. The Council considered the matter and advised the Governor to send word to Teedyuscung that
* See "The Shippen Papers," page 106.
+ In July, 1757, the Province of Pennsylvania opened at Fort Augusta a store, which was under the control, or direction, of the commandant of the fort. In the following September Major Burd, then in command, fitted out "John Tedyonskunk, a big Indian, with one regimental coat, one gold-laced hat with cockade, one ruffled shirt, one yard of scarlet shalloon and one pair of buckles, at an expense of £6, 5sh. 6d." This "big Indian" was Teedyuscung's son John Jacob, who, shortly after the Easton treaty of July and August, 1757, was preparing to set out with a message from his father to some of the Ohio Indians.
Į ISAAC STILL, according to Watson's "Annals of Philadelphia" (II : 171), was "a celebrated Indian of good education-a leader of the last remains of the Delawares adjacent to Philadelphia. He was a Christian man of fine morals and much good sense, and was employed as agent and interpreter in French as well as in English in many important missions to distant Indians." He was said to have traveled farther into the unknown wilds of the West than any other individual of his time-having seen, as he claimed, the Rocky Mountains and "the white Indians" (the Mandans, perhaps, described on page 94). For a considerable time he and his family dwelt in a wigwam on a part of James Logan's place-later called "Indian Field"-near Philadelphia, and in the meantime Isaac's only son, Joshua Still, was edu- cated in a school at Germantown.
In May, 1769, Isaac Still took possession of a 200-acre tract of land on the flats at Sheshequin (on the Susquehanna, about twenty-four miles north of Friedenshütten mentioned in the note on page 220). This
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there was not to be a public treaty, but simply a private conference, "and none have ever been admitted into private conferences between the Governor and Indians, but the wise men and counselors on both sides." Tatemny and Still were called in, and this reply was given to them to carry to the King. It was then after one o'clock. In about half an hour Tatemy returned "with a most insolent answer from Tee- dyuscung, to the effect that he was tired of waiting, was at his dinner, would bring his clerk to the interview or else not speak to the Governor at all." Tatemy was told that the Governor would let Teedyuscung know what he would do and when the latter should come.
The question was again brought before the Council for considera- tion, and Secretary Peters "was desired to set the matter in its true light to the Indians in private conversation ; and Mr. [William] Logan, who had arrived in town, was desired to assist in it, as he was better acquainted with these Indians." It was unanimously decided that Teedyuscung's clerk should not be permitted to sit in Council. If the King desired a public conference, he might be indulged with one in the Council-chamber at the State House, when his clerk might come, as well as any other person .* Teedyuscung refusing to recede from his demand, the only way out of the difficulty was to decide to hold a public conference, and it took place at the State House on March 15th. Governor Denny, several members of the Council, the Speaker and various members of the Assembly, a large number of citizens, Teedyuscung, his half-brothers Captain Harris and Sam Evans, his counselor Tapescawen, his interpre- ters Moses Tatemy and Isaac Still, Willamegicken, t a messenger from the western Indians, and several other Indians were present. Isaac Still interpreted for the King, and Charles Thomson acted as his clerk -not only on this particular occasion, but at each of the succeeding conferences which took place between the Governor and Teedyuscung at Philadelphia in the Spring of 1758.
Early in the conference Teedyuscung produced a large calumet pipe, and, having filled it with tobacco, rose up and said to the Governor :
"At the treaty at Easton you desired me to hear you, and publish what passed there to all the Indian nations. I promised you to do it. I gave the halloo, and published it to all the Indian nations in this part of the world-even the most distant have heard me. The nations to whom I published what passed between us have let me know that they had heard and approved it, and, as I was about so good a work, they sent me this pipe- the sanie that their grandfathers used on such good occasions-and desired it might be filled with the same good tobacco, and that I, with my brother the Governor, would smoke it. They further assured me that if at any time I should perceive any dark clouds arise, and would smoke but two or three whiffs out of this pipe, those clouds would im- mediately disappear."
The King having lighted the pipe first smoked it himself ; then giving it to the Governor the latter and each member of the Council and Assembly present smoked it in turn. Then the King took up a wampum belt of ten rows, having in the middle figures of two men
land was donated to him by the Proprietary Government for services rendered in the capacity of runner and interpreter during the Indian wars. But, evidently, he did not long remain at Sheshequin, for Watson says that in 1771 he moved into Buckingham Township in Bucks County, "purposing there to collect his scattered tribe and move them off to the Wabash, 'far away,' as he said, 'from war and rum.'" This he effected in the Autumn of 1775, having in his company about forty persons, mostly women and children ; as the men-particularly the young and active-numbering about twenty, had gone on before. Years afterwards a gentleman who had witnessed their departure referred to Still as having been a fine-looking man, wearing a hat ornamented with feathers. The women of the band were all bareheaded, and each was loaded with a large pack on her back, supported by a broad strap across her forehead.
* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 30, 31.
{ The name of this Indian was sometimes written "Willemegihany" and sometimes "Willemeghi- kink." He was known to the whites as "James," and was a prominent brave of the Allegheny Dela- wares. See page 374, post ; also, "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, III : 415, and "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VIII : 148.
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grasping one another by the hand, which Teedyuscung said represented himself and the Governor. At each end of the belt were two figures rep- resenting the sun rising and the sun setting, and between these figures were eight figures in white wampum representing eight Indian nations who had "taken hold" of the belt. Proceeding with his speech Tee- dyuscung said* :
"I promised I would give a halloo. I have done it, and all the nations you see represented by this belt which I now hold in my hand have heard whatever you and I have talked together when we were promoting the good work. I have made all these nations as one man. All the Indian nations from the sunrise to those beyond the lakes, as far as the sun sets, have heard what has passed between you and me, and are pleased with it ; and they have said to me, 'Now, Brother Teedyuscung, we see that you and your brothers the English have been talking about what is good. We therefore send you this belt to let you know that we have taken hold at the two ends of this belt, and we desire you and your brothers the English to take hold of the middle ; and always, when you are consulting about what is good, to hold it fast, as our lives and safety will entirely depend upon it. As ten nations joined before, and now eight moret have taken hold of the Covenant Chain, we inake in all now eighteen nations who have hold of this belt. * *
"I am heard now by all the Indians, and they are pleased and have said to me : 'Brother Teedyuscung, you are now promoting what is good. We have looked and inquired who has been the cause of the darkness. There are three [parties] concerned -English, French and Indian. We have found one of these three has been the cause of it, and he shall die. The man is a Frenchman.' There is a good deal of news going backwards and forwards; but, though it be so, I, Teedyuscung, have stopped his ears and blinded his eyes, so that, though the news runs right before his breast, he shall hear nothing of it. That is, though the Indians who have joined me live behind the Frenchi and must pass them to come to us, yet they (the French) shall know nothing of what passes between us. Now, Brothers, as I have blinded the eyes of the French and stopped their ears, I hope you will do the same. * * The Indians who live back encourage you and me. They have said to me : 'Do you, Teedyuscung, and your brothers press on and don't be discouraged. It is a work of great moment which you have undertaken. When you begin a great work you can't expect to finish it all at once. Therefore, do you and your brothers press on and let nothing discourage you till you have entirely finished what you have begun.' Now, Brother, as for me, I assure you I will press on, and the contrary winds may blow strong in my face, yet I will go forward and never will turn back, but continue to press forward until I have finished ; and I would have you do the same. * * Though you may hear birds singing on this side and that side, you must not take notice of that, but hear me when I speak to you and lay it to heart, for you may always depend that what I say shall be true."
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