USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. II > Part 21
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. It was done while he was at Logan's place, as he said himself-and Mr. Samuel Preston has suggested (vide my MS. book,) some papers and families, where he thinks it might yet be found,-say among the papers of Logan, Dr. Barton, or H. Drinker. or E. Penington.
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Joshua, in the mean time, was educated at the Germantown school house. In 1771, he moved up into Buckingham, purposing there to collect his scattered tribe, and to move them off to the Wabash, " far away," as he said, " from war and rum." This he effected in the fall of 1775, having with him about forty persons, chiefly females, as the men and the young and active (about twenty) had gone on before. Mr. Samuel Preston, who witnessed their depar- ture, described Still as a fine looking man, wearing a hat ornamented with feathers, the women, all bareheaded, each loaded with a large pack on her back, fastened with broad straps across their foreheads, thus making their heads bear much of the burthen, they proceeded in regular form of march. Thus ended, in the year 1775, the last vestige of Lenni Lenape from the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and from Bucks county and Jersey! Many further particulars con- cerning Isaac Still as an Indian, and of his services as a useful agent and ally to our cause, are told in several MS. letters from the said Samuel Preston, and may be consulted on page 556, and following, in my MS. book deposited with the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania, to whom the facts therein told more appropriately belong.
Bucks county is also identified with another Indian of greatest fame, even of the renowned Tamanend, (or Tamané, as Penn spells his name,) the tutelary saint of our country ! His remains repose by the side of a spring not far from Doylestown. A letter now before me from my friend E. M. says, " I have just returned from visiting the identical spot in which the celebrated Indian chief, St. Tamané, was buried. It is about four miles from this village, in a beautiful situation, at the side of an endless spring, which, after running about a furlong, empties into the Neshaminy,-the spot is worth visiting ; and the reflections it awakens are worth a league's walk !" Another letter says, " I have discovered a large Indian mound, known by the name of the Giant's Grave," and at another place is an Indian burial ground, on a very high hill, not far from Doylestown."
There is some tradition existing that king Tamanend once had his cabin and residence on the meadow near the Ridge road, situated under a great elm tree on Francis' farm. The character of Tama- nend is told at length in the interesting work of Heckewelder.
Miscellanea.
An original deed "from Wiggoneeheenah, in behalf of all the De- laware Indians concerned," grants unto Edmund Cartlidge a piece of ground, formerly his plantation, lying in a turn of Conestogoe creek, called Indian point [no acres or bounds mentioned,] and dated In the presence of A. Cox, witness, on the 8th of April, 1725. The Indian signature and seal are curious; the seal is of red wax impressed with a running fox, and the Indian signature, in lieu of his name, is a tolerable good drawing of a similar animal. The deed itself is
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among the Logan MSS. In 1722, John Cartlidge is named as kill- ing an Indian at the same place.
In 1720, the Gazette states that a runaway man was seen last "at an Indian town, called Pehoquellamen, on Delaware river." Who can designate that place ? Or who can now say where was " Upper and Lower Dinderdonk" islands, where George Fox, the Friend, was ferried across the Delaware in Indian canoes ?
In 1721, Sir William Keith, the governor, his council, and thirty gentlemen, set out for Conestogoe, to there hold an Indian treaty with the heads of the Five Nations.
In the Gazettes of this period, I often observe Indians named as occasionally serving as sailors on board some of our coasting vessels. The Indians in Maine too, in fighting us, in the year 1727, coasted in an armed vessel there, and fought their cannon, &c., as well as others! At that time, too, more Indians than others were employed in all the Nantucket whalers.
In 1728, some ten or twelve Indians in Manatawna, on the Schuylkill, fell into a quarrel with the whites, and several were killed. Governor Gordon, in consequence, visits the Indians at French creek, and at " Indian town" at Conestogoe, to incite them to peace, and he proclaims, that no molestation shall be offered to any of the Indian nations then in our borders, to wit : " Delawares, Conestogoe, Ganawese, Shawenese, Mingoes." At this time, several Delawares are stated as living about Brandywine. In the same year the Indians assaulted the iron-works at Marketasoney, and were beaten off with loss.
At this time, two brothers, Welshmen, are executed at Chester for the murder of three Indians; they declared they thought all the In- dians were rising on them, in the case of the above strife. They appear to have been maddened with sheer fright, and killed the first unoffending Indians they met.
About the year 1759 advertisements often appear in the Gazettes, describing children recovered from the Indians, and requesting their friends to come and take them home. Several are described as hav- ing sustained some injury ; and in many cases can only tell their bap- tismal names, and the same of their parents !
In 1762, a number of white children, unclaimed, were given up by the Indians at Lancaster, and were bound out by order of the governor.
The Gazettes of the year 1768-9, contain such frequent and vari- ous recitals of the havoc and cruelties of the incensed Indians on the frontiers, as would, if selected, make quite a book of itself. Of the numerous calamities, Colonel Boquet, who commanded a regiment of Highlanders, and was at Fort du Quesne, (Pittsburg,) after the peace of 1763, gives a very affecting recital of the delivery up to him of all the prisoners surrendered by the Indians. Husbands went hundreds of miles in hopes of finding lost wives or children. The collection amounted to several hundred! and the sight of seeing
15*
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husbands and wives rushing into each others arms, and children claimed by their parents, made the joy of all such extreme ! 'l'here was also the mourning of others, who hoped to find relatives-but neither finding or hearing of them, made much lamentation. There were also Indians, who had adopted all those persons, and loved them as their children or relatives, and having then to give them up, showed great signs of distress. Some young Indians had become passionately fond of some young women, and some few women had formed attachments for them. The Indians loaded their friends at their departure with their richest gifts-thus proving they had hearts of tenderness, even to prisoners.
This same Col. Boquet when at Philadelphia, in 1756, with 500 men, threatened to billet his men on the town, with the small-pox because he said he could not find suitable quarters.
I find among the " Proprietary Papers," so called, the speech of Lapowinso to the Proprietaries, at Pennsbury, the 9th May, 1735. Present-James Logan, Jeremiah Langhorne, Joseph Kirkbride, Thos. Freame, Wm. Piles, Joseph Kirkbride, Jr., Israel Pemberton, James Steel, Peter Lloyd, Robt. Appleton. Also, Indians, Lapo- winso, Neutonies, Lesbeconk, Tiscoquam.
Lapowinso spoke and said: That as he came down the usual road to his plantation, he heard from his brethren that the proprie- taries wanted to speak with him ; he therefore came to shake hands with them, and was glad to see them, and presented a bundle of skins.
He desires unity and peace as usual-that he intended to come down with many of his brethren in a twelve moon's hence, to see them and to discourse further about the lands.
That a great king had a mind to have gone down with him, but was lame and could not. Next year they would come and discourse further about the bounds of the lands. That he is uneasy to be at home, to attend to a message sent him from three of the Mingo kings, who were to arrive as soon as the bark peeled, and then to go on to Philadelphia. We have a fine portrait of Lapowinso.
The proprietaries told them they were glad to see them and accepted their presents very kindly, and should always be glad to continue in peace and friendship. The skins were valued at £6 16s. 6d.
"Ask ye for hamlets' peopled bound, With cone-roof'd cabins circled round? For chieftains proud-for hoary sire- Or warrior, terrible in ire !
Ye've seen the shadows quit the vale- The foam upon the water fail- The fleeting vapour leave no trace, Such was their path, that faded race !"
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Frontier Indians, Incidents, Hostilities, & c.
The preceding notices of the Indians are the same as were puh- ished in the first edition of the Annals, and are now intended to be much extended, for the sake of giving more enlarged views of their character and actions in Pennsylvania ; and especially of their hos- tilities and ravages on the frontiers. They were once a formidable foe, and much afflicted and periled the frontier inhabitants. What we now purpose to record will, we doubt not, be new to many, al- though old in themselves,-
In July, 1700, there was a survey of a line from Philadelphia di- rect to Susquehanna, coming out nigh the mouth of Conestoga creek, a little more north, (about four miles,) near to "an old fort demolished." This was in consequence of surveyor-general Holmes' purchase of all the lands from Upland creek to Pemapecka creek, and so backward to Susquehanna, two days' journey. The whole is said to have been bought of the Indian kings and sakamackers, for the use of William Penn-bought of hakhoppah, Secaming, Male- pore, Tangoras, Indian kings; and Maskecasho, Wawarrin, Te- noughan, Tarrecka, Nesonhaikin, Indian sakamackers. I notice that in the map of the line of survey, two Indian paths traverse it ob- liquely, north-west by north-the first from Philadelphia, is at Rocky run, (fifteen miles,) between the head waters of Ridley and Chester creeks, and again at thirty-eight miles, two miles beyond Doe run. These facts I found recorded in a survey book, No. 14, in the land office, and the above extracts are from the warrant of survey by Holme. Below follow other facts on the same subject, all tending to show the treaty by which the lands of Philadelphia city and county are held.
Philadelphia.
To my very loving ffriends Shakhoppah,* Secaming, Malebore, Tangoras - Indian kings; and to Maskecasho, Wawarrin, Te- noughan, Tarrecka, Nesonhaikin-Indian sakamackers, and the rest concerned :
Whereas I have purchased and bought of you, the Indian kings and sakamackers, for the use of Governor William Penn, all your land from Pemapecka creek to Upland creek, and so backward to Chesapeake bay and Susquehanna, two days' journey ; that is to say, as far as a man can go in two days, as under the hands and Suals of you the said kings may appear ; and to the end I may have a certain knowledge of the land backward, and that I may be en- abled and be provided against the time for running the said two days' journey, I do hereby appoint and authorize my loving ffriend, Benjamin Chambers, of Philadelphia, with a convenient number of men to assist him, to mark out a westerly line from Philadelphia to
* This king was one of the witnesses to Tamanend's sale, in 1683, of lands between Nesheminah and Pemapecka creeks.
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Susquehanna, that so the said line may be prepared and made ready for going the said two days' journey backward hereafter, when notice is given to you the said kings, or some of you, at the time of going the said line ; and I do hereby desire and require, in the name of our said Governor Penn, that none of you, the said kings, saka- mackers, or any other Indians whatsoever, that have formerly been concerned in the said tracts of land, do presume to offer any inter- ruption or hindrance in making out the said line, but rather I expect your ffurtherance and assistance, if occasion be herein ; and that you will be kind and loving to my said friend, Benjamin Chambers, and his company, for which I shall, on the governor's behalf, be kind and loving to you hereafter, as occasion may require. Witness my hand and a seal, this 7th day of the 5th mo., called July, being the fourth year of the reign of our great king of England, and eighth of our proprietary, William Penn's government. THO. HOLME.
A true copy from the original, by Jacob Taylor.
With the foregoing paper is a diagram of the ground plot of the survey. It goes direct from Philadelphia city to a spot on the Sus- quehanna, about three miles above the mouth of the Conestoga, near to a spot marked, " fort demolished."
In the book of " Charters and Indian Deeds," (in secretary of state's office, and recorded 30 years ago,) p. 62, is given the deed of the foregoing granted lands, to wit :
We, Shakhoppah, Secane, Malebore, Tangoras, Indian sakamac- kers, and right owners of ye lands lying between Macopanackan, alias Upland, now called Chester river or creek, and the river o1 creek of Pemapecka, now called Dublin creek, beginning at a hill called Conshohocken, on the river Manaiunck, or Schoolkill, from thence extending a parallel line to the said Macopanackan, (alias Chester creek,) by a south-westernly course, and from the said Con- shohockin hill to the aforesaid Pemapecka, (alias Dublin creek,) by the said parallel line north-westernly, and so up along the said Pe- mapecka as far as the creek extends, and so from thence north-west- ernly back unto the woods, to make up two full days' journey, as far as a man can go in two days from the said station of the said parallel line at Pemapecka, as also beginning at the said parallel at Macopanackan, (Chester creek,) and so from thence up the said creek as far as it extends, and from thence north-westernly back into the woods, to make up two full days' journey, as far as a man can go in two days from the said station of the said parallel line at the said Macopanackan, alias Chester creek-For and in consideration of 200 fathoms of wampum, 30 fathoms of duffells, 30 guns, 60 fa- thoms of strawd waters, 30 kettles, 30 shirts, 20 gun belts, 12 pairs shoes, 30 pairs stockings, 30 pairs scissors, 30 combs, 30 axes, 30 knives, 21 tobacco tongs, 30 bars of lead, 30 lbs. powder, 30 awls, 30 glasses, 30 tobacco boxes, 30 papers of beads, 44 lbs. red lead, 30 pairs of hawks' bells, 6 drawing knives, 6 caps, 12 hoes,-To us in hand well and truly paid by William Penn, proprietary and go-
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vernor of Pennsylvania and territories-Do by these presents grant, bargain, sell, &c , all right, title and interest that we or any others shall or may claim in the same-hereby renouncing and disclaiming forever any claim or pretence to the premises, for us, our heirs and successors, and all other Indians whatsoever-In witness whereof we set our hands and seals, &c., this 30th day of the 5th mo., called July, and in the year 1685. (Signed)
SHAKAHAPPOH MALEBORE. 3 TANGORAS.
SECANE
Sealed and delivered to Thomas Holme, president of the provin. cial council, in the presence of us-
Great men of the Indians. LASSE COCK
TARECKHOUA
MOUNS COCK
PENOUGHANT 3
SWAN SWANSON
WESAKANT
ISM FRAMPTON
KACOCAHAHOUS
SAML. CARPENTER
NEHALLAS
WILL ASLEY
TOUTAMEN
ARTHUR COOK
TEPASEKENIN
TRYALL HOLME.
On the 2d of 8th mo., 1685, at New Castle, a treaty is made with sundry Indians for all the lands between Quing Quingas, called Duck creek, unto Upland, called Chester creek, fronting along the Delaware river, and thence backward as far as a man can ride in two days with a horse-in consideration of, &c. [Much the same in kind, quantity and value as the above things .* ] The witnesses are Peter Alricks, &c.
NOTE .- That this said Peter Alricks, "of New Castle county, gentleman," is the same to whom a grant is made by Col. Nicolls, (the conqueror of Gov. Stuyvesant, of New York,) of "surrender" of " Matinicum island to Peter Alricks, formerly of New Castle, with all stocks and goods thereupon." The descendants of this Al- ricks-say " Hermanus Alricks, of the city of Philadelphia, gentle- man," and his brother Peter, both grandsons of the first Peter, " con- firm," in 1734, the signature of their grandfather. Some of this family are now resident at Harrisburg, where two of the Alrickses are lawyers-one also a post-master in Wilmington.
We begin with several articles found recorded under their margi- nal dates, in the Minutes of Council, viz.
21st of 5 mo., 1685, several Indians made complaint, that the servants of Jasper Farman's plantation [probably in Bucks county] made them drunk and laid with their wives, and then quarrelled with them all. A warrant was issued for their appearance, but the
. A copy of the whole may be seen in the Germantown Telegraph of 21st March, 1838. It differed chiefly in having 100 jewsharps, 300 flints, 200 needles, 30 lbs. sugar. 5 galls. molasses, 300 pipes, and 40 tomahawks, in place of axes.
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messenger returned, having lost his way in the woods! Trial was put off, and when the time arrived, the servants being present found no accusers, for all the Indians had been made drunk at home, [per- haps at the charge of the defendants themselves !]
12th of 3 mo., 1690, Lacy Cock, designing up the Schuylkill, is charged to ascertain when there, whether the French settlers there, (probably about French creek) have not too much ammunition, about which he is to inquire of the chief sachem of our Indians, and if so to see that the same is removed to Barnabas Willcox's store.
1706, the Minutes, say-" William Penn, when last in this country in 1700, visited those of that place," to wit : the chiefs of the Cones- toga, Shawanese, and Ganawense Indians on Susquehanna-as also his son, after him, in order to friendship.
21st September, 1710, the queen of the Conestoga Indians, Ojuncho, and two chiefs more, and some of the Connois Indians, visit Philadelphia, and lay down before the council five bundles of skins and furs, making at the gift of each a speech.
The belt from the Conestoga Indians prayed, thus :- "sent from their children born and those yet in the womb, that room might be yet allowed them to sport and play, without danger of slavery !"
There is also messages received from several of the chiefs along the Susquehanna, about preparing for the war in Canada, for us, &c.
20th May, 1723, the three nations of Indians upon the Susque. hanna, viz .: the Conestoga, Delawares and Shawnese, met Governor Keith at Philadelphia, to renew treaties, &c. The answer says, " by this chain, Philadelphia is joined to Conestoga and all the Indian towns upon the Susquehanna." Notices of the Indian visits to Philadelphia are very frequent.
July 4th, 1727, the Indians at Philadelphia pray that no settle- ments may be allowed up Susquehanna higher than Paxton, [the creek now comes out at the lower part of Harrisburg,] and that none of the settlers thereabout be suffered to sell or keep any rum ; because, that being the road by which their people go out to war, they are apprehensive of mischief, in these parts. The same remark they also apply to the country (Allegheny) where James le Tort trades, [in 1840, a young Oneida chief, living at the old Castle New York. is named Abram le 'Tort.]
The answer is, that we have not allowed any settlements to be made above Paxton, yet the young people will spread and scatter ; but to avoid collision, it is recommended that the Indians should thereafter cross above the mountains, [meaning above those now in sight of Harrisburg.]
May 26th, 1728, Governor Gordon, and his council, in treaty at Conestoga, met at the house of Andrew Cornish, about a mile from town. The chief of the Conestogoes (Mingoes) was Captain Civility, i. e. Taquatarensaly. They (the governor and council) refer to Penn's first treaty in nine items, one of which is, that "the doors of the Christian houses should be open to the Indians, and the houses
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of the Indians should be open to the Christians, as welcome friends on both sides," and finally this mutual amity was to exist between them for ever, or "as long as the creeks and rivers run, and while the sun, moon, and stars endure." The consideration articles given in that first treaty, [as I understand it] said, "we bind them with the several parcels of goods, to wit : twenty stroud match coats; twenty duffells ; twenty blankets; twenty shirts; one hundred weight of powder; two hundred weight of lead; five hundred flints, and fifty knives." At the time of the meeting in 1728, the Indians upon Susquehanna are called Shawanese,
June, 1728. James Logan, in his speech in council to the Indian chiefs then present, says to King Sassoonan, king of the Delawares, that ten years before (in 1718) to quiet claims, the former treaties were confirmed with him and others by gifts, &c., and that they then signed a treaty, (then shown,) whereby they granted that all the lands between Delaware and Susquehanna were conceded from Duck creek, to the mountains on this side Leckay, stretching away from the forks of Delaware (below Leckay, Easton now,) to those hills on Susquehanna which lie ten miles above Paxton .*
In 1727, John Wright, an Indian trader, was killed at Snake town, forty miles above Conestoga, by an Indian broil, in a case of his own provocation. It is said in the proceedings, that this was the first accident of the kind ever heard of in the province in that settle- ment. It was further said, that Indian traders acted by license, well considered before the granting, and that the said John Wright's was deemed good when granted at Chester court. Wright and Burt had before been all in harmony, dancing with the Indians, and then Wright struck one of them in anger, and so lost his life by being pursued into the hen-coop.
All the foregoing are embraced in eight books of demi MS. A to M., and come down to the year 1734. I examined and extracted them pretty fully ; after this the books begin and continue of large size in medium paper.
In the record of charters and treaties, I found the following con- cerning the two chiefs, of whom we have a present of their portraits, made in 1737, supposed by a Swede of good talent, to wit:
A treaty at Philadelphia, in 1737, made to confirm one before made " about three years ago at Durham," by two Delaware chiefs or sachems, to wit: Teeshakomer, i. e., Tishcokenk, and Nortames, i. e., Nutemus, to which were present Lappawinsse, and several other Delawares, " concerning lands more than fifty years before sold by their fathers unto William Penn ;" beginning at a spruce tree by the river Delaware about Makerish Kitton, and thence west-north-west
. King Tamanend and Metamequan make a treaty with William Penn, on 23d 4 mo., 1683, for lands near Neshamineh creek, and thence to Pemapecka. Tamenen's mark is thus
I could find no trace of a treaty at Philadelphia, at the Treaty-tree. The Five Nations by treaty deeded the lands up Susquehanna, in 1736.
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by the mountain to a corner white-oak, and thence westward to Nashamini creek, &c. The foregoing relates to Tisheohan and Lapowinsa.
I saw the original charter from the king to William Penn, it is composed of several sheets of parchment, each ornamented with wide marginal heraldic ornaments in black ink. It looks imposing and venerable.
Allentown .- This is one of the oldest settlements on the Lehigh river, and in the different wars of America, was the scene of many a brave and bloody deed. It was there that Colonel James Burd dis- played such heroism in the early wars with the aborigenes. It was there that, during the revolutionary war, the bells of Christ church in Philadelphia were concealed, and it was there that John Fries, the insurgent, fomented the "Northampton insurrection," once so exciting in our annals at the time.
Indian names of places, by Heckewelder.
Schuylkill, (Ganshowéhanne,) the noisy stream, because of its falls and ripples.
Little Schuylkill, (Tamaquon,) the beaver stream, or place where they abounded.
Manayunk, (Meneiunk,) our place of drinking, or to assemble to drink. Makerish Kitton, applied to river Delaware, but must have been
originally meant for the Trenton falls, meaning strong, rapid, like them.
Wissahickon, (Wisamêkhan,) catfish creek. Wisauchsican, a stream of yellowish colour.
Shakamaxon, (Schachaméksink,) place of eels.
Cohocksink, (Cuweuhackink,) pine lands.
Wingohocking, (Wingehacking,) fine land for planting, favourite spot.
Manatawny, (Menhattanink,) where we drank (liquor,) (is like Manhatten, New York !)
Tulpehoccon, (Tulpewihacki,) the land of turtles.
Wyoming, a river having large flats upon it.
Wisaukin creek, (Wisachgim,) grapes, the place where they grow in plenty.
Pittsburg, (Menáchkink,) a secured place, a fort.
Juniata, is an Iroquois word (unknown now.) The Indians said, that this river had the best hunting ground for deer, elk and beaver. Pennsylvania, they called (Quœkelinik,) the country of Quakers! Hoboken, (Hopoken,) a tobacco pipe, near New York.
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