USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855 > Part 18
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On Sabath day last, the eight instant, in the evening, they came to the house of one Durmes, about five miles from this pleace. Immedatly on there entring they house, they shot Dunn and tooke one Capt. Solomons a prisoner. There was four weemen and a number of children in the house. They plundered the house of every thing that was vallibel. But what is surprising, they went off with Captd. Solomon and there plunder, leving behind the weeman and children. This hapened leat in the evening. The next day they were persued but not come up with.
Capt. Robinson has got forty men enlisted for the war, but many of them are so naked, for want of all kinds of clothing, that the can not do duty. They have not a blanket among them all. I know
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it is not in the power of Council to provide for them at present, but I hope they will as soon as posable.
I most sincely wished for our Assembly to have been with me in my disagreeable visit along the much disstressed fruntiers. I have not language to express their distresses.
With great esteem, your humble serv't,
JAS. POTTER.
Jos. REED, Pres't.
The Story of the Emerick Family.
On the farm now owned by Jacob Seebold, to the right of the road going to New Berlin, after passing the road through Chappel's Hollow, lived David Emerick, with his wife and four children, his other daughter being down the country at that time. Emerick had first settled upon the tract where the Widow Brown's tavern is, or near it, before the revolutionary war, in 1773, where he built a house, cleared ten acres of land, planted apple trees, &c. He sold this place, by deed dated 21st June, 1780, to Daniel Rees. On the 15th of November, 1779, he had purchased of Andrew Glen and wife the tract of two hundred and eighty acres, (on which he subse- quently removed, and was captured.) for £2,925. Here he cleared a piece and built a cabin, and was residing in April, 1781.
Here Henry Bickel, (who lived where Henry Mertz now does,) was shot. He had come there to help roll logs. His family was not dis- turbed. They plundered Emerick's house of everything, and loaded him down with baggage. After proceeding a little way, they pulled down a sapling, sharpened the end of it, impaled the babe, and let it fly in the air. Emerick became so exhausted with his load that he sat down upon a log, and refused to go any further. One of the In- dians sank his tomahawk into his head, and killed him. One of the daughters died from excessive bleeding at the nose, on the journey through the wilderness. They were taken to Niagara,1 and the wife and daughters married Indians, their captors ; and many years ago
1 Heckewelder says, that the Muncys took refuge during the Revolution in Canada, and remained there. It is reasonable, to conclude, that the party mak- ing this descent upon the Valley were of its aboriginal inhabitants, familiar with its localities, and, therefore, able to enter and withdraw with comparative safety.
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[ 1781.
Mrs. Emerick and her Indian husband came to Henry Myer's, near Harrisburg, in order to draw some money coming to her from her grandfather's estate. Thus far I had the story from Benjamin Shell, (court crier,) of New Berlin. Emerick was an uncle of Mr. Shell's mother, and the Emericks came from what is now Dauphin county, and settled, as he heard the story, in the "Shamokin country."
My own researches among the records developed the dates and the rest of the narrative. There is on record, in Sunbury, a letter of attorney, dated the 12th of January, 1805, recorded in deed book M, page 516, the parties to which are Archibald Thompson, of Stam- ford, in the district of Niagara, province of Upper Canada, and Catherine, his wife, formerly the widow of David Emerick, to James Thompson, of the same place, authorizing him to collect their inter- est in the rents, issues, and profits of lands, and all the goods and chattels, late of David Emerick ; and also from the heirs and execu- tors of Conrad Sharp, of Berks county, their interest in his estate. It is dated at Willoughby, and acknowledged before Archibald Stew- art. It is recorded on the 4th of March, 1805. It is followed by a letter of attorney from James Thompson to George Schoch, to sell and convey their interest in a tract of land, in. Buffalo township, adjoining lands of Hessler, Hugh Beatty, George Olds, and James Jenkins, containing one hundred and seventy one acres, " which they hold as tenants, in common with John Bickle," recited to be conveyed by Andrew Glen and wife. On referring to deed book C, page 378, it will appear that Andrew Glen and Sarah, his wife, on the 16th of November, 1779, deeded to David Emerick, a war- rant of the 15th of December, 1772, for two hundred and eighty acres, consideration, £2,925. It describes the land as adjoining Thomas Sutherland, James Hunter, and George Olds.
9th August, 1786, John Aurand appointed guardian of Margaret and Catherine Emerick, children of David Emerick, deceased. Fi- nally there is a release recorded at Lewisburg, dated the 26th of Sep- tember, 1816, from James Thompson to George Schoch, which recites that David Emerick left a widow, named Catherine, and two daugh- ters, Margaret, intermarried with James Thompson, and the other intermarried with George Bauder, and he, Thompson, releases his wife's share of David Emerick's estate, amounting to $516 75. So it seems that the wife, and at least one of the daughters, married
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their captors, who, many years after, came back and received their share of the estate of the man they murdered. Mr. Shell said Mrs. Emerick was infatuated with the Indian style of life, and endeavored to persuade some of her female relatives to go off with them when here. The recollection of one of the old inhabitants of the Valley was, that they came here in grand style, on horseback, Mrs. Emer- ick decorated with all the tinsel of Indian dress.
In 1825, Bonham's heirs brought an ejectment against William Gibbons, for a tract of land, in the warrantee name of David Emer- ick, and, to sustain their title, gave in evidence a deed, dated the 2 Ist of June, 1780, from David Emerick to Daniel Rees, under whom Bonham claimed. The evidence on the trial is all lost, but from some manuscript notes taken by the late James F. Linn, it appears that the defense, who had no real defense, subpoenaed all the old settlers in the country to prove that David Emerick was killed in 1778 or 1779, from which the lawyers argued the deed a forgery, though it purported to be acknowledged before Christopher Gettig, Esquire. We are unable to say exactly, but think this was a dodge of the lawyers, taken upon the second trial, the other side, Mr. Bellas and Hepburn never dreaming of parol testimony thus affecting their title. Among others called to prove that Emerick was killed prior to the date of the deed, was Michael Smith, grandfather of A. W. Smith, Esquire. He said " I was living in the place where I am now living (18301) during the revolutionary war. There was a massacre by the Indians in Dry valley. Henry Bickle was killed ; the only one, as far as we know. David Emerick and his family were taken prisoners on the same day. His woman came in afterward, and said Emerick was killed on the road. David Emerick never appeared again. It was three years afterward when his wife returned. She was afterward married to Thompson, in York State. I was eight or nine years of age at the time of the massacre. Bickle's wife had a son, about four months after his murder. He is now in court, and his name is Henry Bickle. I was born in 1769. I saw Henry Bickle after he was murdered. My father lived about two miles from Bickle at that time. My wife's mother and Emerick's wife's mother were sisters. I saw Thompson after he was married to Mrs. Emerick. They were married about the last of the war, or in it.
Smith lived on Kunkle's place, west of Henry Mertz.
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ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
[1781.
"Lee's massacre was about a year after Emerick's. It was in Dry Valley, and about the time of the general runaway. I saw Lee's fam- ily all lying scalped. Emerick has some children. I never saw any of them. There was one of the girls down below at the time, and was at my house about a year ago. Emerick lived near the hill, not far from Hummel's tavern, in Dry Valley. Emerick's children were all taken, except the one below. I saw Lees' killed in the house where they were killed. They had their heads all scalped, and were laid on a bundle of straw." Jacob Bower, of Union township, whose deposition was read, stated that knew David Emerick, and, three years after he became acquainted with him, he was taken by the In- dians. " They killed him on the hill, and we fled to Lee's, and lived there until after hay-making. Lee was after the Indians when Trin- kle and Faught were killed. Lee was killed by the Indians after- wards. Emerick was not taken prisoner the same summer Lee was killed, but the year we lived at Lee's."
Henry Bickle, sworn : "I am fifty-one or fifty-two years of age, and was born in 1778 or 1779, one of the two. I have been always told I was born about four months after my father was killed. I saw Emerick's wife when she was in. My mother lives twenty miles from here. Mrs. Emerick gave me a pen-knife when she was in. I can- not recollect how long since. My mother is eighty-five the 7th of next September. I was born in July, and my father was killed in April, as I have always been told by my mother and others. Emer- ick's wife and my mother were sisters. My mother was married to old George Schoch, who is since dead. She has lost her mind, and would not do any good if she were here."
The plaintiffs then gave in evidence the records of an ejectment, No. 138, May Term, 1834. James Thompson and Margaret, his wife, late Margaret Emerick, in right of said Margaret, George Bau- der and Catherine, his wife, late Catherine Emerick, vs. David Zeluff and Robert Hilands, and called the late James Merrill, Esquire, who said that he had brought "this suit at the instance of David Thorburn, who showed me a power of attorney, which he took away with him again. I never knew the man before. He said he lived in Canada."
They also offered letters from Thorburn from Canada, post-marked Lewistown, which were rejected. This ejectment was non-prossed under the rules.
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Defendants called Philip Hoyens, who swore he knew David Em- erick and Henry Bickle. "Emerick first lived on the Gibbons place. He made an improvement, built a house, and cleared about ten acres. Bickle and Emerick were killed by the Indians. I think they took Emerick away a piece. Emerick moved to this place of Gibbons' before the war. It was two miles from Northumberland."
Instead of contending stoutly that such evidence could not contra- dict a deed as to date, and could raise no presumption of death as against a written document, Mr. Hepburn, for the plaintiff, seemed to yield to the force of the old men's testimony, and said that Emer- ick's name might be a fictitious one, which Bonham had used; it was the practice of the day to use fictitious names to obtain a warrant of survey, and argued further, that there was no evidence that the David Emerick killed by the Indians was the one who owned this land.
· The jury, in the former trial, had found for the defendants. It was taken to the Supreme Court, and the case is reported in 2 Rawle, 45, reversed on error of the judge. At this, the second trial, they came in with a sealed verdict, finding for defendant again. On be- ing polled, one dissented, and they were sent out, and, not being able to agree, they were discharged.
At May Term, 1830, the cause was called again, and after the jury were in the box, the parties settled by an agreement that Gibbons should hold the interference during life, after which it was to revert to Bonham's heirs. Lashells and Greenough were for the defense, as could be guessed by any one reading the trial, and knowing their peculiar ability in ejectment cases.
An examination of the assessment books in the commissioners' office, would have shown that John Lee was assessor on the 27th of March, 1782, wherefore, according to the testimony of all the witnesses, the Bickle and Emerick massacre must have been in 1781. The deed from Glen and wife to Emerick, showed that Emerick was alive on the 15th of November, 1779, while Smith and Bickle's testimony would make out that he was killed in 1 778 or 1779. The assessment books show that Emerick and Bickle were both alive on Ist of November, 1780, and in the one made by John Lee himself, in March, 1782, for the year 1781, Bickle's property is assessed to his widow, and the
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name and family of Emerick disappear forever from the assessment lists after 1781.
Hummel's tavern, in Dry valley, was at the intersection of the roads at Adam Miller's, beyond Samuel Guise's.
The Fought and Trinkle murders I can get no trace of, except the allusion in this evidence. They both lived in Dry valley.
Henry Bickle, who was killed when Emerick's family was cap- tured, left the following family : Christopher, the eldest, who took the farm in 1792, at 40 shillings per acre; Maria C., married to Benjamin Stroh; Elizabeth afterwards married Jacob Kamerlin. Henry, as stated. The widow, Esther Regina, married George Schoch. Christopher sold it to John Meyer in 1806, who sold to Daniel Nyhart, who sold, 4th May, 1822, to Jacob Mertz, whose son, Henry, resides at the old place.
Jolın Wierbach's daughter, (sister of Nicholas and John,) of Buffalo, was carried off by the Indians. She married among them, and after the war her father went West, and found her, but could never induce her to return, though he offered every inducement he could. She preferred the wild life of the savages.
Pay-roll of Peter Grove's Detachment for Services on the Frontier, June 1.
Lieutenant-Grove, Peter.
Sergeants-Clark, William; Wilson, Matthew.
Privates-Trester, John; Lamberson, Nicholas; Rough, John ; Barber, Uriah ; Trester, Jacob ; Shock, John ; Fisher, Paul ; Bower, George ; Bradley, Matthew ; Bower, Daniel ; Houser, Jacob ; Har- riott, William ; Grove, Michael.
Pay-roll of Lieutenant Samuel Mc Grady's Detachment.
Lieutenant-McGrady, Samuel.
Sergeants-Montgomery, Samuel; Armstrong, Daniel.
Privates-Love, Robert ; Daraugh, Ephraim ; Fleming, 1 Hans ; Fulton, Samuel ; Marshall, William; Lykens, Joseph; Misener, John ; Clark, George; Rees, Daniel; Speddy, William ; Pollock,
: His proper name was Archibald Fleming. He lived at Shippensburg in August, 1799, as appears by his receipt.
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William ; Dougherty, William ; McClung, Charles ; English, Wil- liam ; Allen, Robert ; Parsons, Barnabas ; McGrady, Alexander.
In 1781, the first battalion of Northumberland county militia, commanded by Colonel John Kelly, was composed of the following companies :
Captain John Foster, numbering, officers and privates, 55 men.
James Thompson,
44
George Overmeier, 66
66
66
5I
66
66 Samuel Fisher,
66
55
66 Samuel Young, 66
5I
Abraham Piatt,
66
66
53
66 William Irvine, 66
66
53
66
66 William Gray, 66
44
66
Among the rangers commanded by Captain Thomas Robinson, June 1, occur the following from Buffalo Valley : Claudius Boat- man, fifer, William Armstrong, Ludwig Rough, Conrad Kather- man, Jacob Links.
The names of Thomas Perry, Hugh Rodman, John Linn, Wil- liam Black, James Rodman, James Boyd, Thomas Black, John Rhea, William Black, James Hamersly, appear among those who received pay for seven months' services.
Indian Outrages in the Valley.
July 18, Colonel Hunter writes that the Indians have again made their appearance, and that there were no stores of any kind, and meat very scarce in the county.
August 3, Walter Clark and William Antes write : " With pain and with the utmost truth we are obliged to declare that we cannot com- pły with the law passed for supplies. The whole personal property of the county, even if removed to a place where cash could be paid for it, would not pay the tax. The improvements are grown up, burned, or destroyed, and the most of the personal property moved into the lower counties."
September, Captain Robinson writes: " The savages have been quiet for some time. They made their appearance in harvest, but did no damage. Lieutenant Van Campen and six men have gone up into the Indian country, to discover their moves." He recommends Doctor Eaker, who was then in the county, and intended to settle
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there, for surgeon of his company, and refers to Doctor Shippen, who knew him.
October 26, William Antes, James Espy, and Daniel Montgom- ery, the county commissioners, write : " That the county books and papers are yet in Paxton ; that it appeared by the treasurer's books that the residents paid their taxes, while the non-residents did not ; that they would now proceed with the tax business with dispatch."
6th October, Christian Hetrick, a private in Captain Samuel Mc- Grady's seven-months men, was killed. He lived at Derr's, and his party was called out upon the appearance of some Indians on Buf- falo creek. They did not come up with them, and on Hetrick's re- turn home, a mile and a half above Gundy's mill, he was shot. When found he had a bullet wound, and was scalped and tomahawked. His widow, whose name was Agnes, married Ephraim Morrison, in 1787, and from an affidavit made to get a pension for Hetrick's children, I got the facts. Her children were Andrew, born May 1, 1775 ; Catherine, 15th March, 1777; Elizabeth, 15th June, 1779; Polly, 16th October, 1781. He was one of the first residents upon the site of Lewisburg, and is buried just above Andrew Wolfe's, where the rocks jut out upon the road, in the corner of the woods. My father often pointed out the place, but he did not know the man's name.
During this year David Storms was killed, on the place now owned by Esquire Cameron, in Buffalo, (Benjamin Lahr tenant.) David Storms, a son, married Elizabeth Baker, aunt of Mrs. John Beeber, from whom I received the story. David Storms, the son, lived awhile in Centre county, and laid out Stormstown, called after him. David Storms, senior, was outside the house at work, and his two daughters were engaged spinning. He saw the Indians, and ran into the house. They knocked the door in, killed and scalped him. The girls ran up stairs into different rooms. The one closed the door ; the other got behind the open door. They killed the one, and an Indian looked in the other room ; seeing no one, went down stairs. She watched them from the window, and, thinking they noticed her, she sank down in a fainting fit ; but they did not return.
19th October, Jane, widow of William McClung, killed at Fort Freeland, was married by the Rev. Hugh Magill, to David Martin. She had three children, the youngest not born when their father was killed.
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ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
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Among those deceased this year occur Casper Yost, of Penn's ; William Rodman, of White Deer ; (his widow, Martha, afterwards married James Fleming.) Children : James, Thomas, Alexander, John, Samuel, Benjamin, and William.
1782.
INDIAN INCURSIONS -- REZNER KILLED-MAJOR JOHN LEE KILLED-HISTORY OF LEE'S FAMILY, AND WALKER'S-DEATH OF CAPTAIN CASPER WEITZEL.
ILLIAM MOORE, President of the State. James Pot- ter, Vice President. Frederick Antes, Presiding Judge.
At the general election held in October, William Mont- gomery, William Cooke, and William Maclay were elected members of the General Assembly. Thomas Grant received the highest number of votes for Sheriff, but Henry Antes, the next highest in number of votes, received the commission ; John Chat- tam, Coroner ; and David Mead was elected County Commissioner. The officers of Buffalo were : Constable, Peter Burns; Supervisor, Nicholas Reem ; Overseers, Michael Hessler and George Hains.
In Penn's township, George Herrold is assessed with two mills and a ferry ; Tobias Bickle, senior, with a tan-yard; William An- derson, tan-yard. Additional residents : Frederick Bubb, Frederick Guy, (non-juror,) Andrew Gift, John Rush.
Captain Matthew Smith was a better warrior, no doubt, than prothonotary, but answered for war times, when there was little to do. I copy a specimen of his orphans' court records :
"At an orphans' court held at Sunbury, January 11, 1782, the court are of opinion, from information given, that Benj. Elliot and Jean Irwin (alias Elliot) be and appear at Sunbury, on Mon- day, the 14th inst., to answer said court on some complaint of misdemeanour. Fail not under the penalty of £100. Note : the
14
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[1782.
complaint is that the estate of Richard Irwin is embezzling, and that the above Benjamin and Jean is to be provided with security to cloath, maintain, and educate the minor children ; otherwise, other security will be given, that no expense will accrue to the said minor children.
MATTHEW SMITH."
The Indian outrages commenced early this year, and on the Ist of May Captain Joseph Green had a party out in defense of the frontier.
May 6, Edward Tate, a private in Captain George Overmeier's company, was wounded by a ball through his foot, in an engage- ment with the Indians, which ocurred on a place then occupied by Frederick Wise, (now in Limestone township, somewhere between Mifflinburg and Wehr's tavern.) A number of the company were on a scout, and were talking, at the time, of the merits of their respective guns. One said he could shoot the drop from an Indian's nose. Just at that moment the Indians, who were in ambush, fired upon them, and several fell. Tate, who was wounded, ran and concealed himself. An Indian, in pursuit, came near to where he lay, and looked over the fence, but did not discover him. Philip Seebold, whose authority was old Mrs. Overmeier, said the names of the two men killed were Lee and Rezner ; that their bodies were brought to Captain Overmeier's, and she washed them, and they were buried in the grave-yard at Dry run, near late Philip Seebold's resi- dence.
Major Lee and others Killed by the Indians.
The attack on John Lee's (now Winfield) was made in August. A letter directed to Colonel Magaw, at Carlisle, found among his papers, from Colonel Butler, dated 25th August, says, a party of Indians, supposed to be sixty or seventy in number, killed Mr. Lee and family, a few miles above Sunbury. Letters of administration were issued to Captain John Lowdon and Thomas Grant on the 31st of August. Lee was assessor in April of this year.
I copy from Meginness his narration of the occurrence, as I can find no contemporaneous account of it. Meginness, however, con- founds Major John Lee with Sergeant Lee, killed at Fort Rice, on
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ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
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the 24th of October, and relates an incident occurring at Sergeant Lee's funeral as happening at Major Lee's funeral :
" It was a summer evening, and his family were at supper. A young woman named Katy Stoner escaped up stairs, and concealed herself behind the chimney. Lee was tomahawked and scalped, and a man named John Walker shared the same fate. A Mrs. Boatman and daughter were also killed. Mrs. Lee, with a small child and a boy named Thomas, were led away captives. They took the path up the Valley, crossing White Deer mountain, and then the river. One of Lee's sons, Robert, returning about the time, saw the In- dians leaving. He fled to Northumberland, and gave the alarm. A party was organized by Colonel Hunter, and started in pursuit. Henry McHenry, father of A. H. McHenry, of Jersey Shore, was in this party, and gave an account of it to his son. In crossing the mountains, Mrs. Lee was bitten by a rattlesnake, and her leg became so much swollen, she traveled with great difficulty. The Indians finding themselves pursued, urged her on as rapidly as possible, but her strength failed her. When near the mouth of Pine run, four miles below Jersey Shore, she gave out and sat down. An Indian slipped up behind her, placed the muzzle of his rifle to her ear, and blew off the whole upper portion of her head. One of them seized her little child by the heel and dashed it against a tree. They then fled, crossing the river at Smith's fording, and ran up Nippenose bottom. When Colonel Hunter came up with his men, the body of Mrs. Lee was yet warm, and the child, but little injured, was moan- ing piteously. Near Antes' Gap the Indians separated, and ran up both sides of the mountain, and the party gave up the chase, as they were nearly exhausted. They came back and buried Mrs. Lee where she died, and brought the child back. They dug a hole alongside of Walker's body and rolled him in. Mrs. Boatman's daughter sur- vived and lived many years afterwards. Young Thomas Lee was not recovered for many years afterwards. His brother made arrange- ments with the Indians to bring him to Tioga Point, (Athens now,) where he was delivered to his friends. Such was his love of Indian life that they were obliged to tie him and place him into a canoe to bring him home. When near Wilkesbarre they untied him, but as soon as the canoe touched the shore, he was out and off like a deer. They caught him, however, and, on arriving at Northumberland, he
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