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 II > Part 100
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Miamis was at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, July 23, 1748, when three of the noted Miami chiefs from the Wahash country were present. Previous to this the Miamis had concentrated on their ancient hunting-grounds, and had united with certain small neighboring trihes in a defensive league known as the "Great Miami Confederacy," with headquarters at Ke-ki-ong-a, previously mentioned.
By a treaty between the United States and the Miamis, held at St. Mary's, Ohio, Octoher 6, 1818, a reservation was erected for the Miamis, consisting of ahout 930,000 acres of land on the Wabash and Eel Rivers, in Indiana. This was commonly known as the "Thirty Mile Reservation." By a treaty held at Paradise Springs in October, 1826, the Miamis ceded to the United States all their claim to lands in the State of Indiana north and west of the Wahash and Miami Rivers; and in addition, in 1834, the Government purchased of the Miamis 177,000 acres of their reservation. Finally the chiefs of the trihe accepted a proposition to hold a treaty for the purpose of disposing of the balance of their reservation. This treaty was held at the Forks of the Wahash, November 6, 1838, and, with the exception of some sixty small reservations, or sections, of land granted to some of the Miami chiefs and to the descendants of others, the tribe ceded to the United States nearly all its lands in Indiana. In return for this the Government agreed to pay the Miamis $335,680., and to deliver into their possession, and guarantee to them forever, "a country west of the Mississippi River, to remove to and settle on, when the said tribe may be disposed to emigrate from their present coun- try." At that time the Miamis numhered only about 1,100 souls. The last treaty with the Miamis was held November 28, 1840, at which time the trihe ceded to the United States all that tract of land on the south side of the Wabash not theretofore ceded, and commonly known as the residue of the "Big Reserve." It was also agreed that the time for removing the Indians to the West should be extended five years from that date, in order to give them time to select a location.
In 1845 and 1846, in pursuance of the foregoing treaties, a large number of the Miamis removed from their old homes in Indiana to Johnson County, Kansas. In 1867 their number had dwindled to 127. The remnant of this numher removed in 1875 to Indian Territory, where they were settled with the Peoria Indians on the Peoria Reservation. In 1890 there were only thirty men and thirty- seven women of the Miamis on this reservation. They held their lands hy allotment-200 acres to each Indian-and in the year mentioned they cultivated 5,000 acres. Some of the farms were large, and in a good state of cultivation. The members of the tribe received an annuity, which they used for improving their farms and stock. They had entirely dropped all the traditions of their ancestors. They still had their chiefs-not hereditary, but elected hy the people each year. Polygamy had heen abandoned, divorces were unknown, and the tribe had no dances. Fifty of the sixty-seven of these Indians spoke good English. A few spoke Indian in their families, and seemed loath to give up the language of their forefathers. In the year 1900 the Miamis on the Peoria Reservation numbered 110 souls, while the Miamis in the State of Indiana numbered 243 souls-all civilized and self supporting.
* In the language of the Chippewas, and also in the languages, or dialects, of other tribes of the Algonkin family (see pages 100 and 101, Vol. I), the word "bear" was expressed by mack-quah. In the Mohegan tongue it was represented hy m'quoh, and in the Shawanese, by mauquah.
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brother of Frances) by Indians some six weeks subsequently to the cap- ture of Frances. After that occurrence-particularly during the pro- gress of the Sullivan Expedition-efforts were made by various inter- ested persons living in Wyoming to get clues as to the whereabouts of Frances Slocum, but without success. Finally, peace having been con- cluded with Great Britain, efforts were at once made by the United States Government to conciliate the Indian tribes of the North and North-west ; and to this end agents were despatched to various local- ities to negotiate treaties and to restore confidence. While these nego- tiations were going on Giles and William Slocum conceived the idea of making a journey north to search for their lost sister. Accordingly, in 1784, they journeyed as far as Fort Niagara, which, as explained in previous pages, had been an important point during the Revolutionary War. Arriving there the brothers offered a reward of one hundred guineas for the recovery of their sister, or intelligence regarding her whereabouts; but they were unable to gain a single item of satisfactory information.
As years passed by, and the country became more settled and quiet, Giles and William Slocum, agreeably to the desire of their mother (who had never ceased to yearn for her lost child), again visited the Indian country. This time they traveled westward, and penetrated the wilder- ness of Ohio. They were absent for several months, and enlisted the sympathy and interest of Indian agents and traders, who aided them to the best of their abilities. The brothers offered a reward of $500. for any information with regard to their sister's whereabouts, but to no pur- pose. Some time in the year 1789, in pursuance of arrangements made by representatives of the Government, a large number of Indians assembled at Tioga Point (previously mentioned in these pages), bring- ing with them a considerable number of white children who had been captured by them during the Revolutionary War. This gathering was planned for the purpose of giving the relatives and friends of children who had been captured an opportunity to identify and reclaim them. Mrs. Ruth (Tripp) Slocum, accompanied by some of her sons, jour- neyed from Wilkes-Barre to Tioga Point; but after days of careful search among the captives she could find no one who bore any resem- blance to her lost Frances. Nevertheless she still clung to the belief that her daughter was yet alive, and would ultimately be found. (At that time Frances was with her foster-parents at K'e-ki-ong-a-later Fort Wayne.)
In the year 1790 Indian affairs in the United States were in a very unsatisfactory condition. A savage war was raging along the frontier settlements of Pennsylvania and Virginia, while the confederated tribes (including the Miamis) of the North-west were determined that the Ohio River should form the boundary between the United States and the Indian country, and, to enforce that determination, had gone on the war-path-as narrated on page 1123. The sympathies of nearly all the chief men of the Senecas-who had never been quite satisfied with the provisions of the Fort Stanwix treaty of October, 1784 (see page 164)- were with their brethren of the West; although "Cornplanter" (see page 164, Vol. I), then the principal chief of the nation, remained unshaken in his friendship for the United States. Just at this crisis the Senecas found fresh cause of exasperation in the murder of two of their nation by some of the white border-men of Pennsylvania; but the Federal
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Government lost not a moment in disavowing the act, and in adopting imeasures to bring the murderer's to punishment.
About the same time President Washington commissioned Col. Timothy Pickering of Wilkes-Barré (see a subsequent chapter for his portrait and a sketch of his life) to liold a conference, or treaty, at Tioga Point with the Senecas. The council-fire was kindled November 16, 1790, and kept burning until the 23d. A large number of the chiefs, sachems and warriors of the Seneca nation were present-"Red Jacket" (see a subsequent chapter for his portrait and a sketch of his life), “ Big Tree", and " Farmer's Brother " being the principal representatives of the nation. "Cornplanter" was not in attendance. A considerable number of the chiefs and warriors of other nations were present, includ- ing "Good Peter," " Little Billy," "Fish Carrier " (a very old and dis- tinguished warrior of the Cayugas) and "Captain Hendrick," chief of the Stockbridge Indians (see page 193, Vol. I), and a faithful friend of the United States. Representatives of the Oneida, Onondaga and Chip- pewa nations completed the Indian assemblage. The Mohawks and Tuscaroras of the Six Nations were not represented at the conference.
This was the first time that any of the Six Nations were met in council by the General Government after the adoption of the Federal
COLONEL PICKERING AT TIOGA POINT, November, 1790.
Constitution. Colonel Pickering informed the Indians that the "Thir- teen Fires" were now but "One Fire"; that they (the Indians) were now all under the care of the great chief, General Washington, who would redress their wrongs. By the prudent policy pursued by Colonel Picker- ing the black cloud that hung over the deliberations of the council for days was finally driven away.
William Slocum went up to Tioga Point from Wilkes-Barré during the holding of this conference, in the hope that he might learn something from the Indians concerning his lost sister; and after careful inquiry he became satisfied that she was living among the Mohawks. Thereupon he laid the matter before Colonel Pickering, who prepared the following doc- ument-the original draft of which, in the handwriting of Colonel Pick- ering, is now to be found among the " Pickering Papers " (LXI : 104),
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imentioned on page 29, Vol. I. This paper, endorsed " Power to Joseph Smith, Interpreter, to demand of the Six Nations the release of Frances Slocumn," is now printed for the first time. It reads as follows:
"WHEREAS, in the treaty of Peace made at Fort Stanwix between the United States of America of one part, and the Six Nations of Indians of the other part, it was stipulated by the said Six Nations that all citizens of the United States prisoners among them should be given up; And Whereas the President of the United States authorized me to hold the present conference at this place with the sachenis, chiefs and warriors of the Seneca nation-a part of the Six Nations-on a matter of difference between them and the United States, which has now been amicably settled ; And Whereas WILLIAM SLO- CUM of Wyoming, in the State of Pennsylvania, has represented to me, as Conimissioner on behalf of the United States, that he had a sister, by the name of FRANCES, who was made a prisoner at Wyoming and carried away by some of the said Six Nations, in the year 1778-his said sister being then near six years old; that afterwards lie frequently heard of her continuing a prisoner among the said Six Nations, and has satisfactory information that she is still living among them (the Mohawks), and has therefore requested me to take the steps necessary to obtain her release; and his request appearing to nie reasonable and just, I do now, in the name and by the authority of the said United States, require that the said FRANCES be delivered up to Joseph Smith, Indian Inter- preter at the present conference, or to such person as he shall depute to enquire for, demand and receive her-pursuant to the aforesaid treaty of peace.
I. S.
"Given under my hand and seal at the Council Fire at Tioga, in the State of Pennsylvania, the 23d day of November, 1790, and in the 15tl1 year of the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America.
"In Behalf of the United States- [Signed] "TIMOTHY PICKERING, Commissioner."
Of course nothing came of this order, for Frances Slocum was not, and had not been at any time, in the custody of Six Nation Indians. Neither the Slocumns nor their friends in Wyoming, however, had any ineans of knowing this at that time.
Early in 1791 Secretary of War Knox commissioned Col. Thomas Procter* to visit the several Indian tribes inhabiting the country bor- dering on the southern shore of Lake Erie, and also the Miamis of the Wabash, for the purpose of making peace and establishing friendly rela- tions. This was only a few months subsequently to the defeat of Gen- eral Harmar's expedition, mentioned on page 1123. According to the journalt of Colonel Procter he started from Philadelphia March 12, 1791. and journeyed by way of Catawissa and Berwick to Wilkes-Barré, where he arrived on March 19th. Here he miet and consulted with Colonels Zebulon Butler and Timothy Pickering-particularly with the latter, who, only a few weeks later, was commissioned by the Secretary of War to hold a treaty with the Six Nations in June, 1791, at Painted Post, in what is now Steuben County, New York. Continuing his journey up the river Colonel Procter arrived at Tioga Point March 26th. On the 27th he reached Newtown (now Elmira), New York. On the 28th he entered in his journal :
" We proceeded to the Painted Post, or Cohocton, in the Indian language ; dined and refreshed our horses, it being the last house we should meet with ere we should reach the Genesee River. Here I was joined by a Mr. George Slocum, who followed us from Wyo- ming, to place himself under our protection and assistance, until we should reach 'Cornplanter's ' settlement on the head-waters of the Allegheny, to the redeeming of his sister from an unpleasing captivity of twelve years, to which end he begged our imme- diate interposition."
The "George Slocumn" mentioned by Colonel Procter was Giles Slocum, formerly of Wilkes-Barré, and he accompanied Colonel Procter's party to the then village of "Cornplanter " in Catteraugus County, New York. There, in accordance with arrangements which had previ-
* See Chapter XVIII for a sketch of his life.
t See "Pennsylvania Archives," Second Series, IV : 555, 560.
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ously been made with him, "Cornplanter" joined Colonel Procter's party and proceeded with it to the Seneca villages at Buffalo Creek, where the city of Buffalo is now located. It is doubtful if Giles Slocum accompa- nied Procter any farther than to the village of "Cornplanter." In the lat- ter part of April Procter was at Buffalo Creek, and under the date of April 22d he made this entry in his journal : "To cash paid Francis Slocum, a white prisoner, 7s. 6d." Meginness, in his " Biography of Frances Slocum " (Williamsport, Pennsylvania, 1891), takes the ground that this "white prisoner " was Frances Slocum, the "Lost Sister of Wyoming." He says : "It is passing strange that Colonel Procter should, in a few brief words, name the girl[?] and the amount he paid * The
her, and at once enter into details about another prisoner.
simple error in the spelling of her first name amounts to nothing.
She
was beyond peradventure the lost child of Wyoming, for whom the fam- ily had so persistently searched for over thirteen years! * * Was it indifference or stupidity that caused Colonel Procter to treat her case so lightly ? He must have known who she was when he named her, after paying her a small sum of money."
It is not at all probable that the " Francis Slocum " to whoin Col- onel Procter paid money at Buffalo Creek in April, 1791, was Frances Slocum the Wyoming captive. According to the statement of the latter, made in 1837, her home was at Fort Wayne at the time of Harmar's defeat (October, 1790), and when the battle was fought "the Indian women and children were all made to run north." Buffalo Creek is north-east of Fort Wayne, and, by the shortest route, is distant some 340 miles. It is hardly probable that the Miami women and children found it necessary to " run " so far from their villages. To Mr. Meginness' suggestion that Colonel Procter was either indifferent or stupid because he treated so lightly the incident of his meeting a " Francis Slocum " at Buffalo Creek, we would reply : Colonel Procter was an intelligent, warm-hearted Irishman, who had seen very considerable service as an artillery officer during the Revolutionary War-in 1779 taking part in the Sullivan Expedition. He was stationed at Wilkes-Barré for some time prior to the setting out of that Expedition, and, in common with all the officers here, was familiar with the story of the disasters which had befallen the Slocum family only a few months previously. With his recollection refreshed in March, 1791, by his association and talk with Giles Slocum while journeying to " Cornplanter's" village, it can- not be believed that the name Francis, or Frances, Slocum failed to excite more than passing comment on his part when the bearer of the name applied to him for pecuniary aid. It may be confidently stated that, if the applicant was a young woman (as suggested by Meginness), Colonel Procter made careful inquiry as to her antecedents.
In July, 1791, under the commission previously referred to, Colonel Pickering proceeded from Wilkes-Barré 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 Slocumis 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-Barré disheartened and discouraged.
This was the last effort made by the Slocums to find their sister during the life of their inother. 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. Slocuni 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 Slocuins that one of the principal chiefs of this nation had a white woman for his wife, the possibility of this wife being Frances Slocuin 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 inen 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, slie appeared to be seventy or eighty years of age. "She provided ine 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 inatters 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. I 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 shie exclaimed : "There, now, I can die ! Oh ! you don't know how this has troubled ine."
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 iniles. 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 postinaster, 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 deenied 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-Barré, 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 Slocumn, at Wilkes-Barré. 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.
See a subsequent chapter for his portrait and a sketch of his life.
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Farmer and Democratic Journal (Wilkes-Barré) 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.
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