USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Connellsville > Centennial history of the borough of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 1806-1906 > Part 2
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
THE HISTORIC STEWART'S CROSSING.
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The results of the campaign in 1754 were greatly dis- appointing to Governor Dinwiddie and the British Minis- try, but they recognized the bravery of Washington and his men, and made them a special grant of two hundred thousand acres of western land as a reward for their serv- ices, in addition to their regular pay. And although their first effort had resulted in failure it strengthened their determination to possess and control the valley of the Ohio.
A more formidable campaign was planned, and, on June 7th, 1755, the van guard of the army of Major Gen- eral Sir Edward Braddock left Fort Cumberland on its way to the west. This army of General Braddock was composed of the 44th and 48th regiments of English in- fantry, together with a number of independent companies of Colonial troops, numbering all told 2150 effective men. Lieutenant Colonel Washington accompanied the expedi- tion as one of the general's aides. The army moved slowly, and, on June 28, reached the Gist settlement at Mount Braddock. From this point Braddock moved to the north along the old Catawba Indian trail, widening the road and making it passable for the heavy artillery as he went. On June 29 the army encamped at New Haven, and, on the following day crossed the Yough and encamped on the old Davidson farm. It was the original intention of the commanding general to follow the Nemacolin path all the way to the French fort, but, for some reason, this plan was abandoned; and, turning sharp to the left, he crossed the Monongahela river at "Braddock's Upper Ford" near McKeesport, thence down the river to a point below the mouth of Turtle Creek, where he recrossed the river to the field« of battle. The French, numbering less than three hundred men, were posted on the high ground opposite the fording to dispute the English advance. The Indians, numbering about seven hundred, concealed themselves in two deep ravines extending down to the river on either side of the French position. As the well-drilled English infantry advanced to the attack and drove back the French,
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the Indians suddenly arose from their concealment like a horde of screaming devils and from behind trees and fallen logs poured such a murderous fire upon the Eng- lish flanks that the battle was soon transformed into a horrible massacre. If the English officers had been familiar with the ground and cleared the ravines by a spirited charge they might have changed defeat into victory, but they were not. Of the 1460 brave men who crossed the river on that memorable morning of July 9, 1755, no less than 877 were killed or wounded, of whom 63 were com- missioned officers. General Braddock himself received a mortal wound. Every officer above the rank of captain except Washington, who seemed to bear a charmed life, was either killed or disabled. The panic-stricken remnant of the army which succeeded in escaping to the south bank of the Monongahela could not be rallied, and the retreat became a wild rout. All the night long the dazed men fled through the forests, nor rested until they had placed many miles between themselves and their dreaded foes. A number of the bravest, under Captain Stewart of the Virginia troops, rallied about their stricken General and bore him from the field. Fortunately for the defeated army, the Indians were too, intent on scalps and plunder to attempt any pursuit, or hundreds more would certainly have perished. Immediately after the battle, Washington with an escort of two private soldiers was sent with dis- patches to Colonel Dunbar encamped on Laurel Hill, urg- ing him to hurry forward all his available men to cover the army's retreat and also to provide hospital stores. The messengers reached Dunbar's camp early the next morning, but the news of the defeat created a second panic. The cowardly teamsters unhitched their horses and fled. Many of the soldiers followed their example, and it was only by adopting heroic measures that Dunbar prevented the flight of his entire command. The next day the wounded general with his faithful escort reached the camp. Under a courageous leader it might have been possible to have
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rallied the broken army here and made a second advance, but leadership and courage were both lacking, and it was soon apparent that orders would be issued to retreat to Fort Cumberland. Whether Braddock ever gave this or- der or not is uncertain, but, if it was given, Dunbar was only too ready to obey. The preparations for the retreat were begun by the destruction of the artillery, the muni- tions of war and all the supplies that had been forwarded to this point. All the artillery, with the exception of two pieces, was bursted; fifty thousand pounds of powder were emptied into a large pool of water, nearly all the solid shot were buried and a number of wagons which it was found impossible to move because of the desertion of the team- sters with their horses were burned. Then the retreat be- gan.
At the end of the first days' march the army encamped about two miles west of the Great Meadows. Here, at eight o'clock on the evening of July 13, Braddock breathed his last. Washington and Orme, two of his faithful aides, remained with him to the end. Shortly before he died he bequeathed to Washington his favorite horse as well as his body servant, evidencing the warmest affection for the young Virginian. The next morning he was buried in the camp where he died, and all traces of his grave were carefully obliterated, in order to prevent the possible mutil- ation of his body by pursuing Indians. Fifty- seven years later, workmen, engaged in repairing the road at this place under the direction of Abraham Stewart, exhumed the bones of a man believed to have been General Braddock. The people of the vicinity believed this and collected some of the larger bones as relics. About eight years after these bones had been found, some of them were collected by Mr. Stewart and reinterred at a spot which has ever since been known as Braddock's grave. Whether the bones were really those of the ill-fated general no man knows. After Braddock's death the retreat of his army to Fort Cumberland was conducted in a more orderly manner.
BRADDOCK'S GRAVE.
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The wagon train with its burden of sick and wounded led the advance, then came the main body of the army with the remaining artillery and ammunition, and finally two full companies of the English infantry and Captain Stew- art's Virginians as the rear guard. Fort Cumberland was reached without further mishap, July 20, and, thus the second effort to wrest the control of the valley of the Ohio from the French ended in greater disaster than the first.
For the next three years the country was left in the undisputed possession of the French and their allies. The Indians made daring raids over the mountains, and no Eng- lish settler was bold enough to establish a home on the disputed territory. In 1756 there were scarcely one hun- dred men found in Cumberland county, then embracing all the territory of Pennsylvania west of the Susquehanna River, which the preceding year had a population of more than three thousand. Hundreds of settlers abandoned their homes, and desolation ruled everywhere along the border. This condition of things remained until William Pitt be- came Prime Minister of England. By him new life was instilled into the English colonies, and, in 1758, General John Forbes with an army of 2,000 men, frightened the French out of Fort Duquesne, and built Fort Pitt in its place. This bloodless victory established the English in control of the valley of the Ohio, and opened up the land once more for settlement.
In the spring of 1759 the boldest of the English pion- eers began to return to their western homes. It was an exceedingly hazardous venture because of the continued hostility of the Indians, and only the bravest were willing to undertake it. Among these were the Browns of George's township and the Gists of Mount Braddock. Christopher Gist the father of the latter family was one of the boldest men on the frontier. He was of English descent, being one of the three sons of Richard Gist of Maryland. He was married to Miss Sarah Howard and had five children, Nathanial, Richard, Thomas, Anne and Violette. He built
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his first cabin at Mount Braddock in 1153, but was so busily engaged in the military and civil service of Vir- ginia that he never seems to have made it his home. In 1:54 this cabin was destroyed by the French, and, in 1159, when his children returned to rebuild it, he was sum- moned on a mission to the southern Indians, among whom he was stricken with the small-pox from which he died. During the Braddock campaign he rendered the most val- uable service to the English general as guide and scout, a service for which the King gave him a special grant of several thousand acres of western land. It is said that on the morning of the fight at Braddock's field he had reached, in company with two Indians, a point within a half mile of Fort Duquesne. The greater portion of his life was spent on 'the frontier, often among rough irre- sponsible men, but in spite of all this he is known to have been a man of sterling moral character and strong religious feelings. To him, strange as it may seem, belongs the credit of having conducted the first Protestant services among the Indians of the state of Ohio. This was on Christmas day of the year 1150, and the Indians were so well pleased with him that they urged him to remain among them as a missionary. He was a devoted member of the Church of England. Of his children, Nathanial married and removed to Kentucky. During the revolutionary war he was a Colonel in the Virginia line. Some of the most eminent citizens of Kentucky are numbered among his descendants. His sister Anne, who never married, made her home with him. Violette was married to William Cromwell. Richard Gist perished at the battle of Kings' Mountain. Thomas Gist remained at Mount Braddock and eventually became the owner of all his father's land, a princely estate of more than twenty-three hundred acres. As a man of large possessions, he was also a man of large influence. He held a commission as a Justice of the Peace. for Cumberland county in 1220, which was renewed by Bedford county in 1121 and by Westmoreland county in
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1178. He entertained George Washington at his home in 1770. In 1786 he died and was buried by request on his Mount Braddock farm. His only daughter, Elizabeth Johnson, and his brother's children shared the estate, the larger part of which soon after passed into the hands of Colonel Isaac Meason.
From 1759 to 1765 the Gists had but few neighbors. Many bold Virginians would have been glad to take up the rich lands adjoining, but the Indian terror held them in check. Practically the only settlements that were made in the new country during these first six years of the Eng- lish occupation were those in the immediate vicinity of Fort Pitt, Fort Burd and Fort Ligonier, under military permits. Here the settlers were under the protection of the garrisons, but in the surrounding country the Indians were the masters. No white man could live in the open country west of the Laurel Hill in safety, unless he had in some way secured the permission of the Redmen. It was not until 1763, when Colonel Henry Bouquet inflicted a decisive defeat upon them at Bushy Run in Westmore- land county, that they were willing to make terms of peace. This was the signal gun for western settlement. In the spring of 1765, a large number of settlers, chiefly from Vir- ginia, built their cabin homes on Fayette county soil. But these first settlers were all trespassers. Neither the Indians nor the English government wanted them here. The land still belonged to the Indians, and it was the policy of the English King, now that he was once more at peace with the French, to cultivate their good will.
On October ?, 1763, the King had issued a special proclamation, in which he affirmed his tender regard for his red children, his desire to protect them in the pos- session of their hunting grounds and forbidding any officer of the crown to grant warrants of survey for any of the Indian lands. The authorities of both Virginia and Penn- sylvania endeavored to enforce the terms of the procla- mation, but with little effect. The rising tide of emigra-
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tion overflowed all restraints. In June 1766, Captain Alex- ander MacKay was sent to Fort Burd wth a company of soldiers, with instructions to expel the trespassers from the country. But the settlers laughed at all their threats and stuck to their homes. The situation then became so grave that Governor Penn issued a manifesto, September 23, 1766, in which he forbade "all his Majesty's subjects of this, or any other province or colony, from making any settlements, or taking possession of lands, by marking trees or otherwise beyond the limits of the last Indian purchase within this province, upon pain of the severest penalties of the law, and of being excluded from the privilege of securing such settlements should the lands, where they are made, be hereafter purchased of the Indians." But still the forests rang with the sound of the axes of the pioneers.
On February 3, 1768, an Act of Assembly was passed, imposing the severest penalties upon all violators of the settlement laws, and a special commission, with a Presby- terian minister at its head, was sent to western Pennsyl- vania to induce the settlers to vacate. Several conferences were held with the settlers in this vicinity, who respectfully listened to the words of the gentlemen of the commission, but declined to give up their homes. They were not afraid of the Indians; they were not afraid of the civil power, they were not afraid of anything. Those who were expelled by force of arms waited until the soldiers had returned to the fort and then quietly resumed possession. For a while it was feared that this lawless settlement of the country would precipitate a war with the Indians, but, in October 1768, a treaty was held with the Iroquois at Fort Stanwix, New York, at which time the Pennsylvania proprietaries purchased all the land west of the Laurel Hill and south and east of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers for the con- sideration of £10,000. The express assent of the Dela- wares and Shawnees was not given to this sale, but they acquiesced. The Iroquois were the rightful owners of the land.
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On April 3, 1769, the Pennsylvania land office was opened for the disposition of these lands. There was such a rush that it was found necessary to put the applications in a box as they were received and draw them out in lot- tery fashion in order to decide conflicting claims. In spite all the threats of the State to debar the first settlers from any share in the newly purchased lands they were actually given the preference on all occasions. The surveys for the Fayette county lands were begun by Archibald, Moses and Alexander McClean on August 12, 1169. About one hun- dred and fifty surveys were made within the present limits" of the county during the first two years, showing how quickly the best lands were taken up. The price of the land was first fixed at £5 per 100 acres and a nominal quit rent to the proprietaries of a penny a year for each acre. A few years later the quit rent was removed, and the price reduced as low as 50 s per 100 acres. During the boundary controversy with Virginia, "Virginia cer- tificates" were issued to all settlers who would build a cabin and raise one crop, at the rate of ten shillings for each one hundred acres. Each certificate was limited to four hundred acres. Because of the comparative cheap- ness of these lands, many of the settlers in southwestern Pennsylvania took out their titles under the laws of Vir- ginia. All of the early settlers of the Yough region, so far as we can learn, purchased their lands from the State of Pennsylvania.
One of the most prominent figures among these pio- neers of 1765 was William Crawford. He was born in what is now Berkeley county, West Virginia, in 1732. His parents were Scotch-Irish, and many of the virtues of that hardy race were accentuated in him. In 1736, his father died, leaving two children, William and Valentine. His mother soon after married Richard Stephenson, to whom six children were born, John, Hugh, Richard, James, Mar- cus and Elizabeth. The Stephenson home was a frequent stopping place for George Washington during the time of
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his engagement as a surveyor for Lord Fairfax. Both the Crawford and the Stephenson boys were noted for their strength and agility, and Washington often engaged in sport with them after the work of the day was over. The warm friendships of the boys ripened into the stronger friendships of the men, and were never broken. It was from Washington that William Crawford learned the art of surveying, and it was also through his influence that he obtained a commission as Ensign in the military service of Virginia, in 1255. It is commonly supposed that he was a member of Braddock's army. This is incorrect. His first trip west of the mountains was made in 1758, as an officer in the army of General Forbes. The western country made such a strong impression upon his mind that he resolved to make it his home. For several years he was prevented from carrying out his purpose by the hostile attitude of the Indians, but in the fall of 1765, when this danger had subsided, he came over the mountains on horse-back by way of the Braddock road, in company with his half-brother, Hugh Stephenson. When he reached the second crossings of the Yough, where the town of New Haven is now located, he was so much pleased with the fine meadow lands lying in the bend of the river, that he here decided to build his home. The two men surveyed a tract of 37614 acres, and put up a log cabin, into which Crawford moved his family the following year. The exact time of his settlement is fixed by a deposition preserved in the "Virginia State Papers" at Richmond, Virginia.
"Colonel William Crawford deposeth and saith that his first acquaintance with the country on the Ohio was in the year 1758, he then being an officer in the Virginia service. That between that time and the year 1765 a number of settlements were made on the public roads in that country by permission of the several commanding officers of Fort Pitt. That in the fall of the year 1765 he made some improvements on the west side of the Alle- gheny Mountains; in the spring of the year following he settled, and has continued to live out here ever since. That before that time, and in that year, a considerable number of settlements were made, he thinks near three hundred, without permission from any
COLONEL WILLIAM CRAWFORD
(From a portrait of doubtful authenticity.)
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commanding officer; some of which settlements were made within the limits of the Indiana Company's claim, and some others within Col. Croghan's."
Crawford's family, at the time of his settlement, con- sisted of his wife (Hannah Vance) and four children, John, Sarah, Effie and Anne. The discomforts of bringing a family with several small children to western Pennsylvania in 1166 can scarcely be imagined. The road over the moun- tains was little better than a path and exceedingly rough and dangerous in places. The transportation was effected by means of pack-horses. As a rule the pioneer found three horses sufficient to carry his outfit. Little or no wooden furniture would be brought along, for that could be impro- vised on the ground. Bed clothing, cooking utensils, agri- cultural implements, an ax, a rifle, a dog, two cows and plenty of food were the essential things. The dog served as a watchman. the cows furnished milk for the children on the way. The little caravan would move slowly, for mishaps were common. Every creek had to be forded, and, in the spring when the waters were high, this was often attended with considerable danger. At night the only shelter for the mother would be an improvised bark hut, and sometimes even that could not be provided. None but the most courageous of women would have attempted the journey, but Hannah Crawford was equal to it. She was a woman of unusual courage and vivacity, as her later life proves, and was able to provide for every emergency. The cabin prepared for their coming was an exceedingly humble home. It was about 14 by 16 feet in size, and con- tained but one room, in which the family lived and did all their work. It is said to have had two small openings in the logs, which served as windows, one beside the door, overlooking the river, and the other facing the hills. The floor was made of split logs, dressed with the ax as smooth as possible ; the roof was made of rough planks. Here, in this humble home, the family lived during the entire time of Crawford's life in this community. Here George Wash-
TWO VIEWS OF THE CRAWFORD SPRING HOUSE.
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ington, Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, Doctor James Craik, Captain Stephen and other illustrious men were entertained. Here, every passing traveller found a hos- pitable welcome, for the heart of William Crawford was ever larger than his purse. It was an ideal spot for a home. The rich farming lands yielded an abundant supply of food. The forest abounded in game. One hundred and fifty yards away the beautiful Youghiogheny sparkled in the sunshine. A short distance to the north ran the old Brad- dock road along which travellers were constantly passing. The Crawfords had none of the comforts and conveniences of our modern life, but they lived close to nature's heart, and were healthy, happy and strong. Their closest neigh- bor was Lawrence Harrison, who brought his family from Virginia and settled on New Haven hill. in 1266, taking up four tracts of land containing 108214 acres. It is said that they came over the mountains with the Crawfords. William Harrison married Miss Sarah Crawford, so that the relations between the two families were quite intimate. John Vance, brother of Mrs. Crawford, came out in 1766 and located in Tyrone township, not many miles distant : Valentine Crawford settled on the Westmoreland side of Jacobs Creek, and two of the Stephenson boys took up land a little farther west, so that the Crawfords were among their friends from the very beginning.
One of William Crawford's chief employments aside from his farming was surveying. Having learned the art in Virginia, he was now in a position where he could put it to good use. Seven tracts of land in Fayette county. containing more than two thousand acres, were surveyed for George Washington. One of these tracts was the "Great Meadows," embracing the site of Fort Necessity. Over sixteen hundred acres of valuable land were secured for him in Perry township. Crawford also surveyed several other tracts of land for Washington near Fort Pitt and down the Ohio, for all of which he was fully paid.
In the fall of 1220. Washington, accompanied by Dos-
** *
THE CRAWFORD CABIN. (From a pencil sketch.)
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tor James Craik, came over the mountains to inspect his newly acquired lands. Crawford accompanied them on their journey, and took pleasure in showing them the natural resources of the country and in entertaining them at his home.
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In 1723, Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, while on his way to Fort Pitt, stopped at Crawford's home and conferred with him on matters of state. Indeed, William Crawford was recognized as one of the most influential men on the frontier. His advice was sought on all matters pertaining to the development of the country. His influ- ence in civil affairs is seen in the fact that he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace for Cumberland county in 1220, for Bedford county in 1721, and for Westmoreland county in 1773. 'He was the presiding Justice of the latter county at the time of its erection, and would probably have held the position up to the time of his death if it had not been for his Virginian partisanship during the Indian war of 1774. In opposition to the public policy of his State, he espoused the cause of Lord Dunmore and led a force of men into the Indian country. The Pennsylvanians bitterly resented this disloyal act on the part of their presiding Justice, and, on January 25, 1775, at the urgent request of Arthur St. Clair, he was deposed from office by Governor Penn, never to take up public service under the State of Pennsylvania again. It was the most serious mistake of Crawford's civil life. His military ardor and love for Vir- ginia overcame his good judgment. It was a characteristic mistake, and helps us to see the force of the man. Nature had endowed him with many of the highest qualities of the soldier. He was a born leader of men. When danger threatened he was quick to respond to the call of his fellow men and organize them for self-defense. The correspond- ence between Crawford and Washington during the summer of 1774 shows how serious the apprehensions of the settlers in the Yough region were at that time with respect to the Indians. By the assistance of several neighboring families,
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