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 83

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 680

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 83

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* * It is certain Butler could have commanded much more severe conditions. The set- tlement was wholly at his mercy. No one can deny but the capitula- tion, on its face, was, under the circumstances, in a high degree honor- able and favorable to Colonel Denison. Colonel Franklin confirms the statement of Mrs. Myers, that Butler exerted himself to restrain the savages, seemed deeply hurt when he was unable to do so, and at once offered, if a list could be furnished of property lost, to make it good."

After a long and careful consideration of the events which took place in Wyoming in July, 1778, the present writer is firmly convinced that the looting of the inhabitants and the burning of their homes, sub- sequently to the capitulation of Forty Fort and prior to the departure from the Valley of the regular forces of Major Butler, were done with the latter's knowledge and approval. It will be observed that in the Forty Fort articles of capitulation it was stipulated that the inliabitants should occupy their farms peaceably, and that Butler would use his utmost influence to preserve entire, for the use and enjoyment of the inhabitants, their private property. In the capitulations executed at Wintermute's, Jenkins' and Pittston Forts the only " promise " made in behalf of Butler was that the lives of the men, women and children should " be preserved entire." In his report to Lieut. Colonel Bolton relative to the Wyoming incursion (see page 1047) Butler made partic- ular mention of the destruction by his forces of 1,000 dwelling-houses (a very much larger number, in fact, than was destroyed, for there were not that many houses in the whole of Westmoreland at that time). It is very evident that he made mention of this destruction of property in order to impress upon his superior officers the great value of the results accon1- plished by the expedition. He certainly did not hesitate to exaggerate the extent of the destruction of property. This, undoubtedly, he would not have done had the destruction taken place contrary to his desires and orders.

When the looting began at Forty Fort-almost before the ink was dry on the document executed by Butler and Denison-the former threw all the blanie on the Indians and claimed that lie could do nothing with them. Perhaps he could not, but the Indians-in particular, the Sen- ecas-were under the command and control of powerful chiefs, who,

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had it been desirable or necessary, could have restrained the most dis- orderly and unruly of the savages. As we have before noted (on pages 984 and 985), the Senecas greatly outnumbered all the other Indians in the expedition-they alone, of all the Indians on the ground, forming a part of the regular force under the command of Major Butler. The other Indians-to whom we have referred as " miscellaneous " Indians (see page 985)-were a lot of nondescripts, formning the rag-tag-and-bob- tail of the expedition. The Senecas were a very martial and warlike nation (see page 121, Vol. I), and, particularly during the Revolutionary War, their warriors were, to a greater degree than those of any other Indian nation, organized on a military basis. They were arranged in bands and companies, which were commanded by " Captains," who were war-chiefs of note, while over all Sayenqueraghta was supreme. He was really a remarkable and forceful man, and, as we have shown in the sketcli of his life on pages 968-970, was for many years prior to his death one of the most distinguished men of the Iroquois, the most popu- lar and prominent of the Senecas, and always a firm friend where he pledged fidelity. In a word, then, had Major Butler, the commander- in-chief of the Wyoming expedition, indicated to Sayenqueraghta in positive and unequivocal terms that 110 depredations should be com- mitted after the surrender of the inhabitants, we question if more than a very few would have occurred.

The names of only a few of the sub-chiefs, or "Captains," of the Senecas who were here under Sayenqueraghta are now known. Roland Montour and his brother, "Stuttering John," have been already men- tioned. Others, who subsequently became prominent chiefs, were " Big Tree," or "Captain Pollard,"* " Little Beard,"t and Ta-wan-ne-ars, or "Governor Blacksnake."} For many years it was almost universally believed, and in fact it is still stated by somne modern writers, that Joseph Brant (see page 299, and other pages) was in comunand of the Indians at the battle of Wyoming. This belief has been quite thor- oughly destroyed, however, by many authentic letters and other docu- ments that have been brought to light within recent years. School-

* GA-ON-DO-WAU-NA, or KA-OUN-DO-WA-NA ("Big Tree") was a half-breed, his father being an English Indian trader, with headquarters at Niagara, and his mother a Seneca woman. After the death of the latter Kaoundowana's father was married to Catharine Montour ("Queen Catharine"), mentioned on page 207, Vol. I, and thus Kaoundowana became the step-brother of Roland Montour and "Stuttering John." Catharine Montour bore to Kaoundowana's father three sons, all of whom were renowned in the border warfare of the Revolutionary period. In youth Kaoundowana was an ambitious warrior, and later he made himself conspicuous in the many forays against the border settlements by the British and Indians during the Revolutionary War. In middle life he was known as "Captain Pollard," and in his later years as "Colonel Pollard." In January, 1777, he was at Wilkes-Barre with a large body of Indians en route to Easton, Pennsylvania, to hold a treaty. In the list of names of the chiefs of these Indians (see page 914) Kaoundowana's name is given as Tawanah-which was as near as the interpreter, or recorder, of the treaty could get to the true name.

In 1777, '78 and '79 the home of "Big Tree" was at Conesus, or Adjutsa, a small Seneca village about a mile south-south-east of the head of Conesus, or Adjutsa, Lake ("Lake Between the Hills"), in Livingston County, New York. In September, 1779, Conesus, then consisting of eighteen houses, was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition. Maj. James Norris, an officer of the Expedition, recorded in his journal under the date of September 13, at Conesus: "At this town lived a very great noted warrior called 'The Great 'T'ree,' who has made great pretensions of friendship to us, and has been to Philadelphia and to General Washington's headquarters since the war commenced, and has received a number of presents from General Washington and from the Congress; yet we suppose that he is with [Maj. John] Butler against us."

After the Revolutionary War "Big Tree," or "Captain Pollard" as he was then called, settled at Buffalo Creek near the present city of Buffalo, New York, and at that time he was a Sachem of the first class. A number of years later he became one of the first-fruits of the missionary lahors among the Senecas in that locality. After his conversion to Christianity he led a blameless and beneficent life, and always spoke with abhorrence and deep contrition of the events of his warrior days. At the commencement of the War of 1812 the Indians who were allies of the United States forces formally selected "Captain Pollard" as their leader, or war-captain, and he proved to be an able and valiant com- mander. He was a man of commanding presence, and of dignified and benevolent aspect, showing but few traces of his Indian lineage. He was a contemporary of the famous Seneca chief, "Red Jacket," and was only second to him as an orator. In moral attributes he was the superior of "Red Jacket," being literally a man without guile, and distinguished for his benevolence and wisdom. In 1821 "Cap- tain Pollard" was the head of the Christian party of the Scnecas, and "Red Jacket" was the Orator and

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craft, in his "History of the Indian Tribes of the United States" (VI : 297), says :

"It was at Niagara that the plan of the incursion into the valley of Wyoming origi-

nated. * * It was then believed, and it has since been frequently asserted, that Brant led the Indians on that occasion; but it is doubtful whether he was actually present, though he probably approved of the movement, if he was not the original instigator of it. This chief was known to cherish such a deadly hatred of the revolutionists, and had been so frequently connected with the incursions and midnight massacres perpetrated on the frontiers, that, in the popular estimation, no injustice has been done to his bad reputa- tion in the use which has been made of his name by the poet Campbell [in 'Gertrude of Wyoming ']. A melancholy catalogue, indeed, would be a detail of the enterprises il which Brant was the leader and principal actor."

In 1838 Col. William L. Stone published his "Life of Joseph Brant," and in 1840 he published the first edition of his "Poetry and History of Wyoming." On page 213 of the latter book is the following note :

"Until the publication, year before last, of the Life of Brant by the writer of the present work, it had been asserted in all history that that celebrated Mohawk chieftain was the Indian leader at Wyoming. He himself always denied any participation in this bloody expedition, and his assertions were corroborated by the British officers, when questioned upon the subject. * * The author made a journey into the Seneca country, and pushed the investigation among the surviving chiefs and warriors of the Senecas engaged in that campaign. The result was a triumphant acquittal of Brant from all par- ticipation therein. The celebrated chief 'Captain Pollard,' whose Indian nanie is Kaoun- dowana, a fine old warrior, was a young chief in that battle. He gave a full account of it, and was clear and positive in his declarations that Brant and the Mohawks were not engaged in that campaign at all. Their leader, lie said, was Gi-en-gwah-toh,* who lived many years afterwards."

principal chief of the Pagan party. Ketcham, who knew "Captain Pollard" personally, says in his "Buffalo and the Senecas": "After the death of 'Farmer's Brother' the most considerable of the chiefs of the Senecas was 'Captain Pollard.' "

"Captain Pollard" died at an advanced age April 10, 1841, and was buried in the old mission cem- etery at East Buffalo near the graves of "Red Jacket," "Young King," "Tall Peter," and other Senecas of note in their day. In October, 1884, the remains of "Red Jacket," "Captain Pollard," "Young King," and other Senecas were re-entombed in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo.

¡ "Little Beard," who was a Captain under Sayenqueraghta in the Wyoming expedition, lived at Deonundagaa, or Little Beard's Town, sometimes called Genesee Castle. (See page 967.) This town, together with 20,000 bushels of corn, was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition in Septem- ber, 1779. It was much the largest town bap- pened upon by the Expedition. The Indians de- serted the town in a great hurry. While Sullivan's army was encamped there a white woman with a small child, who had been captured in Wyoming in 1778 by Indians, made her' appearance.

¿ TA-WAN-NE-ARS, or THA-O-WA-NYUTH ("The Nephew"), belonged to the Seneca nation. The place and date of his birth are unknown. He was associated with "John Halftown" and "Corn- planter" (see page 164, Vol. I) in negotiations with General Washington, by whom he was greatly esteemed, and who, wben "The Nephew" visited the capital in company with "Cornplanter," gave him the name of "Governor Blacksnake." George S. Conover, in his pamphlet, entitled "Sayenque- raghta, King of the Senecas," says: "The Indians generally acknowledge that 'Governor Blacksnake' was quite prominent and one of the leaders on that occasion [the battle of Wyoming]. Dr. Mor- gan says that the Iroquois had two supreme mil- itary chieftains, whose duty it was 'rather to take the general supervision of the affairs of war than the actual command in the field, although they were not debarred from assuming it if they were These offices were hereditary, disposed to do so.' and were assigned to the Senecas. The first was named 'Ta-wan-ne-ars,' and was hereditary in the * The first of these positions Wolf clan. * *

was held by 'Governor Blacksnake.'" This old chief died December 26, 1859, at Cold Springs, in South Valley, on the Allegany Reservation, New York. He was believed to be at least 112 years old. The accompanying picture of "Governor Blacksnake" is a photo-reproduction of an en- graved copy of a portrait, which was painted prior to 1853, at which time it was in existence in Owego, New York.

"GOVERNOR BLACKSNAKE."

* One of the various forms in which the name of Sayenqueraghta appears, as mentioned on page 968.

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In 1843 Eleazar Carey of Wilkes-Barré (see page 1026) wrote to the Hon. Charles Miner as follows (see Miner's "History of Wyoming," page 233):

"When a lad fourteen years old I resided in the Genesee country, and in 1803 became acquainted with the family of Kanchilak, eldest son of 'Blue Throat,' or Talag- uadeak. He had sons and daughters not differing much from my age, and he said the boys must teach me to talk Indian, and I them to speak Yankee. We thus became intimate. 'Blue Throat' could speak our language understandingly. He assured me, as did 'Little Beard ' -- who held the rank of Captain in the battle [of Wyoming]-that Brant was not present. This statement was confirmed by 'Stuttering John ' and Roland Montour *- the latter a half-blood, who took my uncle, Samuel Carey, prisoner."

On Tuesday, July 7th, the inhabitants who had been inmates of Jenkins' Fort, Wintermute's Fort, Pittston Fort and Forty Fort at the time of the several surrenders, and who since then had been, in some measure, prisoners, were given permission to depart from the Valley. According to the statement of Ishmael Bennett (see Hayden's "The Massacre of Wyoming," page 53) some sixty persons started together from Pittston Fort. They were allowed by the enemy to take with them a couple of cows. They set out for the Delaware by way of the "Upper Road " (see page 646), which passed through the Lackaway District of Westmoreland. As they left the Valley burning buildings were seen in many directions, and a little farther on they passed the bodies of St. John and Leach, who had been slain two days before, as previously mentioned. In the afternoon of the 7th the "Rangers " and Senecas were ordered to inake preparations for their departure, and dur- ing the remainder of that day and the following night there was con- siderable bustle and confusion in the upper part of the Valley. Major Butler, who, since the surrender of Forty Fort, had spent the most of his time at his headquarters near the ruins of Wintermute's Fort, was still on the ground-Miner stating that " he did not even indulge him- self with a visit to Wilkes-Barré or the lower part of the Valley."

Early in the morning of July 8th Butler ordered his drummers to beat the generale, and soon thereafter the "Rangers" and the Senecas-the regular forces-together with the Onondagas, and prob- ably the Cayugas, of the " miscellaneous" Indians (see pages 985 and 1041), had arranged themselves in marching order. Butler placed himn- self at the head of the column with his standard-bearer, t the drumns

* See note on page 1027.

¡ The standard (or "colors") of the "Rangers" was eight feet long by five feet and four inches in width; its ground was buff in color, upon which was borne the red cross of St. George, extending to the four edges of the standard and covering a large part of its surface. In each of the four quar- ters of the standard, formed by the arnis of the cross, there were two triangular designs in blue.

Some years after the disbanding of the "Rangers" Fort George was built by the British author- ities on the Canadian shore of Lake Ontario near the mouth of Niagara River, and near the spot where the old barracks of the "Rangers" stood. The colors of the disbanded "Rangers," and of various Canadian military organizations, were later deposited in Fort George for preservation. During the War of 1812 Fort George was the most important frontier fortification of the British, and it was called by the Americans the "Pandora's-box of the frontiers." The fort was captured by 4,000 United States troops on May 27, 1813, and this gave the Americans possession of all the forts and the country on both sides of Niagara River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Among the property found in Fort George and taken possession of by the United States troops was the old standard of "Butler's Ran- gers." It was sent to Washington, where, a suitable inscription having been placed upon it, it was deposited in the War Department.

In March, 1837, Mr. Frederick Hancock, a native of Wilkes-Barre, but at that time residing in Philadelphia, happened to be in Washington, and while there visited the War Department and asked to be shown the collection of standards taken from the enemies of the United States in times of war. Mr. Hancock was conducted to the attic of the building and shown a number of flags. "After some further examination," wrote Mr. Hancock in 1837, "I was shown a very ancient-looking British flag, and was informed that it had been carried in the 'Wyoming Massacre.' My attention was at once excited, and upon examination I found the following words written on the margin [of the flag]: 'The standard of the bloody, scalping Colonel Butler, carried in the Massacre of Wyoming.' The flag was much defaced, and stained with blood, and looked as though it might have been in the front of the battle on that memorable day." Mr. Hancock-as he subsequently stated-endeavored to obtain the flag from the Adjutant General of the army, in order that he might present it to the citizens of Wyoming; but, finding that that officer had no authority to part with the flag, Mr. Hancock called upon the Hon. Joseph R. Underwood, a Representative in Congress from Kentucky, and who, as a

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struck up, and the invaders began their return march up along the river-following the road which at that day ran through Exeter north- ward to Sutton's Creek and beyond. As previously noted, some of the " miscellaneous " Indians who had accompanied the expedition into the Valley withdrew with it, but no small number of them-including the Delawares and others belonging to the villages near Tioga Point- remained behind. Miner states that squaws, to a considerable number, mounted astride on stolen horses, brought up the rear of the retiring column, each of the squaws wearing a belt of scalps (stretched on small hoops) around the waist for a girdle, and some of them having on four, others six, and even more, dresses, one over the other, and on their heads three, four or five bonnets, one atop of the other and worn wrong side before-all this clothing having been taken, of course, from the women of Wyoming.

The enemy carried away, as prisoners, John Gardner and Daniel Carr (who had been captured at Sutton's Creek, as related on pages 987 and 989), and Samuel Carey, captured on July 3d (as described on page 1027). On the morning of their departure Gardner's arms were pinioned and a heavy pack of plunder was placed on his back. His wife and children were then allowed to come to him to bid him farewell; but after a short time the command "Go! Go !" was given, when an Indian put a rope around Gardner's neck and led him off as one would lead a beast. He was compelled to carry his load to Kanadesaga (see page

young man, had been at the taking of Fort George. Mr. Underwood immediately became interested in the matter, for he was familiar with the history of Wyoming, and this particular flag of the "Rangers" had previously attracted his attention.

At the request of Mr. Hancock, upon his return to Philadelphia, the Hon. George W. Woodward of Wilkes-Barre (then in Philadelphia as a member of the convention to frame a new constitution for the State) wrote a petition to Congress asking that the flag previously mentioned might be delivered up to the inhabitants of Wyoming. Mr. Hancock signed this petition and forwarded it to Represen- tative Underwood, who read it in the House of Representatives and had it referred to a select com- mittee. From the Congressional Globe (VI : 302) we learn that in the House of Representatives on April 12, 1838, Mr. Underwood, "from the select committee raised on the subject, reported a joint- resolution authorizing the Secretary of War to deliver up to the people of that valley the Wyoming flag now in the War Department-in case the people thereof so desire. * Mr. Underwood cor-

rected an erroneous impression in relation to the flag. It was not the flag of the ancestors of the people of Wyoming, but that of the enemy. Mr. David Petriken of Pennsylvania said that as the flag was not that of the Wyoming fort, but of the enemy, and as no general petition had come on from the district asking for it, but only one from a single individual; and as several respectable men from that section now in this city [Washington] had stated that they did not want this banner, he moved to lay the resolution on the table." The Hon. William W. Potter, a Representative from Penn- sylvania, then made a long and interesting speech relative to the battle of Wyoming, in the course of which he referred to the many erroneous accounts of the battle and the subsequent massacre con- tained in various published histories. In conclusion he said: "The ensign in the Department, captured in Canada during the late war, is the British flag borne in the battle of Wyoming by the British troops. A sight of the blood-stained banner of the savage murderers of their lamented companions and ancestors, is calculated to give a pang to the hearts of the few survivors of that fatal day, and to the descendants of those who sleep the sleep of death. The flag being in the resolution recognized as the British, and not the American; and under which the miscreants Butler and Brant-

'The monster Brant, With all his howling, devastating bard-'

fought on that fatal day; and under whose folds the fairest and most beautiful valley of Pennsylvania was drenched in blood-if I duly appreciate the feelings of the people of Wyoming, the permission given by the terms of the resolution will never be acceded to by them." The resolution under con- sideration by the House was then laid on the table -- and that was the end of the matter so far as Congress was concerned.

At some time between 1837 and 1840 the abovementioned standard of "Butler's Rangers" was transferred from the War Department at Washington to the United States Military Academy at West Point. In the Spring of 1840, at West Point, a colored sketch of the standard was made by Richard Smith on a scale one-eighth the size of the original. This identical sketch is now in the collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, and the following partly obliterated inscription is represented as appearing on the flag itself: "The standard of the noted murdering, scalping corps *

* by Colonel Butler in the Revolutionary War, whose *

* long be remembered by the

* * * and Susquehanna River. Taken at * May 27, 1813." On the margin of the sketch is the following inscription: "From the original color now at the Military Academy, West Point, April 6, 1840. [Signed ] "RICHARD DELAFIELD, Major of Engineers."

In 1903 the present writer had considerable correspondence with the Adjutant of the West Point Academy relative to the standard of "Butler's Rangers," and he seemed to be unable to locate it. In "Bulletin No. 2," issued in January, 1902, by "The Association of Graduates of the U. S. Military Academy," there is an interesting article on "Trophies and Flags in the Chapel" of the Academy. Mention is made therein of "five tattered and time-worn flags" captured by the Americans from the British forces "over a century ago." Two of these flags are stated to be "English standards;" but the Butler standard is not mentioned by the writer, nor can it be identified from any description given in the article above mentioned.

F. « YOHN

DEPARTURE OF THE INDIANS FROM WYOMING AFTER THE BATTLE AND MASSACRE IN JULY, 1778. Photo-reproduction of an original drawing by Frederick C. Yohu in 1902.

By courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons.

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967), and when he arrived there he was completely exhausted from fatigue. Thereupon he was handed over by his captor to the squaws, who tortured him to death by fire. Daniel Carr saw Gardner's remains the following day .*

The writer has recently seen (since the printing of page 975) a copy of an interesting document now preserved among the "Haldimand Papers," previously mentioned. It relates to some of the inhabitants of Westmoreland who were carried away into captivity by the British and Indians during the Summer of 1778, and is entitled " Return of Rebel Prisoners [at Quebec] November 15, 1778-showing age, residence, date and place of capture." From this list we glean that the men cap- tured in Westmoreland June 5, 1778, as mentioned on page 975, were as follows: James Whitney, aged thirty-six years, a native of Dunstable, Massachusetts ; Timothy Pearce, f aged thirty-nine years, a resident of Westmoreland, Connecticut ; Joseph Budd, aged twenty-two years, a native of Long Island; Daniel Walling, aged twenty-two years, a resi- dent of Westmoreland, and " not in arnis." We find also the following names of other Westmorelanders who were in custody at Quebec at that time. Timothy Dory, aged twenty-two years, captured August 22d ; Stephen Kimball, aged twenty years, a native of Preston, Connecticut, captured July 4th ; John Benjamin, aged twenty years, a native of Northumberland, Pennsylvania; Andrew Sherard, aged nineteen years, a resident of Westmoreland, captured July 11th on the Lackawanna River, "not in arms;" James Huff, aged forty-two years, a resident of Westmoreland, captured July 3d on the Lackawack River, "not in arms ;" John McPhattage, aged twenty-one years, a resident of West- moreland, captured August 22d, "not in arms;" John Kertell, aged twenty-five years, a resident of Westmoreland, gave himself up at Oswe- gatchie, "was formerly a soldier in the 'Royal Americans,' but obtained his discharge."

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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 early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume II, Part 83

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press Number of Pages: 680

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 680