USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 17
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The frontiers of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, were overrun by scalping parties, marking their way with blood and devastation. (1)
The out posts the most remote, were assailed about the same time, and so vigorous were the savages, that in a short time they took eight out of eleven forts. Venango, Le Bœuf, Presque Isle, La Bay, St. Josephs, Miamis, Ouachtunon, on the Wabash, Sandusky, and Michili- makinac were all taken, and the garrisons mostly murdered. Detroit, Niagara and Fort Pitt alone remained in the hands of the whites.
Michilimakinac was among the first that fell. Several traders had brought the news to the fort, that the Indians were hostile to the English. Major Etherington commanded the garrison, and would believe nothing of it, and at length threatened to send the first person a prisoner to Detroit who should again intimate any thing of the kind. The garrison at this time consisted of ninety men, besides the officers. There were also at the fort four English merchants. Little regard was had to the assembling of sundry bands of Indians, as they appeared friendly ; but when nearly four hundred of them, under the command of Menehweh- na, their chief, were lingering about the place, Mr. Henry took the liberty to say to the commander that, in his judgment, no confidence ought to be placed in their pacific intentions. Major Etherington only replied by ridiculing the timidity of this suggestion.
On the fourth of June, the Indians began, as if to amuse themselves, to play at a favorite game of ball, which they called baggatiway .- It is played with a bat and ball, the bat being about five feet in length, curved, and terminated in a sort of racket. Two posts were placed in the ground, at the distance of a mile or more from each other. Each party has its post, and the game consists in throwing the ball up to the post of the adversary. The ball, at the beginning, is placed in the mid-
(1) Pennsylvania Gazette of June, July and August, 1793-Hist. Cumber- land County, p. 145.
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dle of the course, and each party endeavors as well to throw the ball out of the direction of its own post, as into that of the opposing party .- This farce drew the garrison off their guard, and some went out to wit- ness the sport.
This game is necessarily attended by noise and violence, and in the ardor of the contest, the ball, if it cannot be thrown to the goal desired, is struck in any direction by which it can be diverted from the post of the opposing party. At such a moment, therefore, it excited no alarm when the ball was tossed over the pickets of the fort, followed by all engaged in the game, of both parties, all eager, all striving, all shouting, in the unrestrained pursuit of an athletic exercise. And this was their plan. While in the heat of the game, they were to throw the ball within the pickets of the fort, rush in after it, and when in, to fall upon the unsuspecting garrison.
The plan too well succeeded. They threw the ball into the fort, as if by accident, and repeated it several times, running in and out of the fort several times to make the deception more complete ; and then rush- ing in at a preconcerted signal, from every direction, took possession of the place without the least resistance.
They murdered the soldiers, uutil their numbers were so diminished that they apprehended no resistance. Seventy were put to death, and the other twenty were reserved for slaves, many of whom were after- wards ransomed. A few days after this event, a boat from Montreal, without knowing what happened, came ashore with English passengers, and fell into the hands of the Indians.
Against Detroit was arrayed the united force of all the tribes residing along the lakes, under the celebrated Pontiac in person.
It was garrisoned by about three hundred men, and when Pontiac came with his warriors, although in great numbers, they were so inter- mixed with women and children, and brought so many commodities for trade, that no suspicion was entertained of any hostile intentions .- He encamped a little distance from the fort, and sent to Major Gladwin, the commander, to inform him that he had come for the purposes of trade, and desired, in the first place, to hold a council for the purpose of " brightening the chain of peace" between England and his people .- Not suspecting any hostilities, the Major readily assented, and the next morning was fixed upon for holding the council in the fort.
The same evening a disclosure was made, which saved the garrison from surprise and massacre. An Indian woman, who had made a pair of moccasins for Major Gladwin, out of a curious elk skin, brought
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them to him, and returned the remainder of the skin. Being much pleased with them, he desired her to take the skin and make another pair, and he would give the finished ones to a friend. If there was still any left, she was permitted to use it for herself. She was then paid for her work and dismissed. But when those whose duty it was to see that the fort was clear of strangers, and to close the gate for the night, went upon their duty, this woman was found loitering in the area, and being asked what she wanted, made no reply. Major Gladwin being informed of her singular demeanor, directed her to be conducted to his presence, which being done, he asked her why she did not depart before the gates were shut? She replied, with some hesitation, that she did not wish to take away the skin, as he set so great a value upon it. This answer was delivered in such a manner, that the Major was rather dis- satisfied with it, and asked her why she did not make the same objec- tion on taking it in the first place. This rather confounded her, and she replied that if she took it away now, she never should be able to return it.
It was now evident that she withheld something which she wished to communicate, but was restrained through fear. But, on being informed by Major Gladwin, that she should not be betrayed, but should be pro- tected and rewarded, if the information was valuable, she said that the chiefs who were to meet him in council the next day had contrived to murder him, take the fort and put all the garrison to death. Each chief, she said, would come to the council, with so much cut off his gun, that he could conceal it under his blanket; that Pontiac was to give the sig- nal while delivering his speech, which was, when he should draw his peace belt of wampum, and present it to the Major in a certain manner ; and that while the council was sitting, as many warriors as could, should assemble within the fort, armed in the same manner under the pretence of trading with the garrison.
Having got all the information necessary, the woman was discharged, and Major Gladwin had every precaution taken to put the garrison in the best possible state of defence. He imparted the discovery to his men, and instructed them how to act at the approaching council ; at the same time sending to all the traders in different directions to be upon their guard.
During the night a cry was heard in the Indian encampment different from what was usual in time of peace. The garrison fires were extin- guished and every man repaired to his post, expecting an attack. But
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the cry was heard no more, and the remainder of the night was passed in silence.
The next morning having arrived, every countenance wore an aspect of anxiety ; the hour of council was approaching, and the quick step and nervous exercise in every evolution of the soldiers, wore an expression of an event big with their destiny. Punctual at the appointed hour of ten o'clock, Pontiac, and his thirty six chiefs followed by a train of warriors appeared on the outside of the fort; but when the stipulated number had entered the garrison the gates were closed. The chiefs observed attentively the troops under arms, marching from place to place ; two columns nearly inclosing the council house, and both facing towards it. On Pontiac's entering it, he demanded of Major Gladwin, the cause of so much parade, and asked him why his men were under arms. He observed that it was not the usual manner of holding a council. The Major replied, that it was for the purpose of exercising his men. The Indians being seated, Pontiac commenced his speech, and when he came to the signal of presenting the belt, Major Gladwin, and his attendants drawing their swords half out of their scabbards, and the soldiers clinching their guns with firmness, discovered to the chiefs, by their peculiar attitudes, that their plot was discovered. Pontiac, with all his bravery, turned pale, and every chief showed signs of astonish- ment. To avoid an open detection, the signal in passing the belt was not given, and Pontiac closed his speech, which contained many ex- pressions of respect and affection for the English. But when Major Gladwin commenced his, he did not fail directly to reproach Pontiac with treachery ; told him he could not do any thing to ensnare the Eng- lish, and that he knew his whole diabolical plan. Pontiac tried to ex- cuse himself and pretended that no plot was laid ; upon which Major Gladwin walked up to the nearest chief, drew aside his blanket, and exposed his short gun-this completed their confusion.
Major Gladwin then ordered Pontiac to leave the fort, immediately, for it would be with difficulty he could restrain his men from cutting him to pieces, should they know the circumstances.
On the next day, a furious attack was made upon the fort. Every stratagem was resorted to. At one time they filled a cart with com- bustibles, and run it against the pickets, to set them on fire. At another, they were about to set fire to the church, by shooting fiery arrows into it; but religions scruples prevented it-a French priest telling Pon- tiac, that it would call down the anger of the Great Spirit upon him. They frequently endeavored to cut down the pickets so as to make a
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breach. Major Gladwin, at last, ordered his men to cut on the inside and assist them. This was done, and when a breach was made, there was a rush upon the outside towards the opening, and at the same in- stant, a brass four pounder, which had been loaded for the purpose was shot off, which made a dreadful slaughter among them. After this they merely blockaded the fort and cut off its supplies, and the English were reduced to the greatest distress.
In this emergency Captain Dalyell was dispatched by way of the pro- vince of New York, with the supposed requisite number of troops for the relief of Detroit. He passed up the lake, by water, and reached Detroit on the twenty-seventh of July, 1763. Two days afterwards. Captain Dalyell, with two hundred and forty-seven men, went out of the fort to surprise Pontiac in his camp. But the wary chief had runners out, who gave him timely notice, and he met the detachment in an ad- vantageous place, and with a vastly superior force. He concealed his warriors behind a picket fence, near a bridge where the English were to pass, and when they had passed it, he poured in upon them a dreadful fire. Many fell at the first discharge, but they kept their order, and ex- erted themselves to regain the bridge they had just passed. 'This they did, but a large number fell, among whom was Captain Dalyell. Major Rogers, the second in command, with about two hundred others, was enabled to retreat to the fort.
Pontiac ordered the head of Captain Dalyell to be cut off and set upon a post. Between eighty and one hundred dead bodies were counted upon the bridge the next morning, which entirely blocked up its passage. This bridge, where so many brave men were slain, is still called the " Bloody Bridge."(1)
About this time, several small vessels which were destined to supply the garrison, fell into the hands of Pontiac, and their crews murdered. The garrison was now in great distress for the want of provisions, and the great loss of men rendered its situation perilous in the extreme. . In this time of despondency, a schooner from Niagara, manned by eigh- teen men, twelve of whom were Mohawk Indians, arrived near the fort with a supply of provisions. Pontiac determined, if possible, to seize it, and sent a detachment to make the attempt. To secure herself, the vessel was obliged to sail in an opposite direction. The Indians fol- lowed her in canoes, and by continually firing into her killed almost every man, and at length boarded her. As they were climbing up the
(1) The official return of Sır Jeffry Amherst differs from this. He makes the number killed but nineteen, and forty-two wounded.
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sides and shrouds in every quarter, the captain, having determined not to fall into their hands alive, ordered the gunner to set fire to the maga- zine, and blow up all together. A Huron chief who understood English, instantly communicated this order to the Indians, when they disengaged themselves from the vessel as fast as possible, and fled from her in great fright, to a considerable distance.
The schooner then proceeded to Detroit, and arrived on the third day of September, and thus the garrison was saved from certain destruction. Silver medals, descriptive of the event, were ordered to be struck and presented to each of the survivors of the crew. (1)
About the first of June, the scalping parties perpetrated several murders in the vicinity of Fort Pitt. Upon receipt of this intelligence, Governor Hamilton, with the assistance of the provincial commissioners, imme- diately reinforced the garrison at Augusta, and sent out small parties to protect the frontiers. As the first attack was not immediately followed up by the Indians, the government was willing to believe it to have been the effect of some private resentments, rather than of a general combi- nation for war, But such hopes were dissipated by inroads upon the settled parts of the province, and the flight of the inhabitants to the in- terior. The whole country west of Shippensburg became the prey of the fierce barbarians. They set fire to houses, barns, corn, hay, and every thing that was combustible. (2) The wretched inhabitants whom they surprised at night, at their meals, or in the labors of the fields, were massacred with the utmost cruelty and barbarity ; and those who fled were scarce more happy. Overwhelmned by sorrow, without shel- ter, or means of tranportation, their tardy flight was impeded by fainting women and weeping children. The inhabitants of Shippensburg and Carlisle now become the barrier towns, and opened their hearts and their houses to their afflicted brethren. In the towns, every stable and hovel was crowded with miserable refugees, (3) who, having lost their houses, their cattle, and their harvest, were reduced from independence and hap- piness to beggary and despair. The streets were filled with people ; the men, distracted by grief for their losses, and the desire of revenge, more poignantly excited by the disconsolate females and bereaved child- ren, who wailed around them. In the woods, for some miles, on both
(1) Holmes' Annals, Il. p. 122 .- Drake's Indian Biography, Book V. p. 33.
(2) Pennsylvania Gazette, July 28th .- Hist. Cumberland co., p. 141-42.
(3) On the 25th July, 1763, there were in Shippensburg, 1,384 of poor, dis- tressed back inhabitants, viz: men 301, women 345, children 738; many of whom whre obliged to lie in barns, stables, cellars, and under old leaky sheds, the dwelling houses being all crowded .- Ibid 142.
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sides of the Susquehanna river, many families, with their cattle, sought shelter, being unable to find it in towns. The citizens of Philadel- phia hastened to contribute to their relief. Large sums were collected by subscription from individuals and associations in the city, and in all the counties in the province, and judiciously applied for the relief of the sufferers.
After the first panic had passed away, the frontier settlers associated themselves together, and, under the care of divisions of the regular troops and militia, succeeded in collecting and saving the remnant of their crops. (1)
The Indians had already surrounded Fort Pitt, and cut off all com- munication from it, even by message. Though they had no cannon, nor understood the methods of regular siege, yet with incredible bold- ness, they posted themselves under the banks of both rivers by the walls of the fort, and continued as it were buried there, from day to day, with astonishing patience, pouring in an incessant storm of musketry and fire arrows ; hoping at length, by famine, by fire, or by harrassing the garrison, to carry their point.
Captain Ecuyer, who commanded there, though he wanted several ne- cessaries for sustaining the siege: and the fortifications had been damaged by the floods, took all the precautions that art and judgment could sug- gest for the repair of the place, and repulsing the enemy. His garrison, joined by the inhabitants, and surviving traders who had taken refuge there, seconded his efforts with resolution. Their situation was alarming, being remote from all immediate assistance, and having to deal with an enemy from whom they had no mercy to expect.
General Amherst, the Commander-in-chief, not being able to provide in time for the safety of the remote posts, bent his chief attention to the relief of Detroit, Niagara and Fort Pitt. The communication with the two former, was chiefly by water, from the province of New York, and it was on this account, the more easy to throw succor into them .- It was on this account that Captain Dalyell was dispatched for the relief of Detroit, an account of which has before been given.(2)
Fort Pitt remained all this while in a most critical situation. No account could be obtained from the garrison, nor any relief sent to it, but by a long and tedious march of near two hundred miles beyond the
(1) Gordon's Hist. Penna, p. 93, 89-6.
(2) See page 153.
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settlements, and through those dangerous passes, where the fate of Braddock and others, still rises to the imagination.
Colonel Bouquet was appointed to march to the relief of Fort Pitt, with a large quantity of military stores and provisions, escorted by the shattered remains of the forty-second and seventy-seventh regiments, lately returned in a dismal condition from the West Indies, and far from being recovered of their fatigues at the siege of Havana. General Amherst, having at that time, no other troops to spare, was obliged to employ them in a service, which would have required men of the strongest constitution and vigor.
Early orders had been given to prepare a convoy of provisions on the frontiers of Pennsylvania, but such was the universal terror and conster- nation of the inhabitants, that when Col. Bouquet arrived at Carlisle, nothing had yet been done. A great number of the plantations had been plundered and burnt by the savages ; many of the mills were destroyed, and the full ripe crops stood waving in the field, ready for the sickle, but the reapers were not to be found !
The greatest part of the county of Cumberland, through which the army had to pass, was deserted, and the roads were covered with dis- tressed families, flying from their settlements, and destitute of all the necessaries of life.
In the midst of that general confusion, the supplies necessary for the expedition, became very precarious, nor was it less difficult to procure horses and carriages, for the use of the troops.
The commander found that, instead of expecting such supplies from a miserable people, he himself, was called by the voice of humanity, to bestow on them some share of his own provisions, to relieve their pres- ent exigency. However, in eighteen days after his arrival at Carlisle,(1) by the prudent measures which he pursued, joined to his knowledge of
(1) Col. Bouquet wrote Gov. Hamilton, from Carlisle, July 3d, 1763. SIR :- I am sorry to acquaint you that our posts at Presque Isle, Le Boeuf and Venango, are cut off, and the garrison massacred, except one officer and seven men, who have escaped from Le Boeuf. Fort Pitt was briskly attacked the 22d June-had only a few men killed and wounded ; and dispersed the enemy. Fort Ligonier has likewise stood a vigorous attack, by means of some men who reinforced that small garrison from the militia of Bedford. The Indians expect a strong reinforcement to make new attempts on these - two posts.
If the measures, I had the honor to recommend to you in my letters of yes- terday, are not immediately put into execution, I foresee the ruin of the part of the province on this side of the Susquehanna; and as York county would be covered by Cumberland, I think they ought to join in assisting to build some posts, and saving the harvest. It would not be less necessary to send immediately arms and ammunition to be distributed to the inhabitants to de- fend their reapers .- Prov. Rec. S. p. 397.
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the country, and the diligence of the persons he employed, the convoy and carriages were procured with the assistance of the interior parts of the country, and the army proceeded.
Their march did not abate the fears of the dejected inhabitants. They knew the strength and ferocity of the enemy. They remembered the former defects even of our best troops, and were full of diffidence and apprehensions on beholding the small number and sickly state of the regulars employed in this expedition. Without the least hopes, there- fore, of success, they seemed only to wait for the fatal event, which they dreaded, to abandon all the country beyond the Susquehanna.
In such despondency of mind, it is not surprising, that, though their whole was, at stake, and depended entirely upon the exertions of this little army, none of them offered to assist in the defence of the country, by joining the expedition ; in which they would have been of infinite service, being in general well acquainted with the woods, and excellent marksmen.
It cannot be contested that the defeat of the regular troops on this occasion, would have left the province of Pennsylvania in particular ex- posed to the most imminent danger, from a victorious, daring and bar- barous enemy ; for, excepting the frontier people of Cumberland county, the bulk of its industrious inhabitants was composed of merchants, trades- men and farmers, unaccustomed to arms, and without a militia law.
The legislature ordered, indeed, seven hundred men to be raised for the protection of the frontiers during the harvest ; but what dependence could be placed in raw troops, newly raised and undisciplined ? Under so many discouraging circumstances, the Colonel, deprived of all as- sistance from the provinces, and having none to expect from the General, who had sent him the last man who could be removed from the hospitals, had nothing else to trust to, but about five hundred soldiers of approved courage and resolution indeed, but infirm, and entire strangers to the woods, and to this new kind of war. A number of them were even so weak, as not to be able to march, and sixty were carried in wagons to reinforce the garrisons of the small posts on the road.
Meanwhile, Fort Ligonier, situated beyond the Allegheny mountains, was in the greatest danger of falling into the hands of the enemy, be- ore the army could reach it. The stockade being very bad, and the garrison extremely weak, they had attacked it vigorously, but had been epulsed by the bravery and good conduct of Lieut. Blane, who com- nanded there.
The preservation of that post was of the utmost consequence, on ac-
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count of its situation and the quantity of military stores it contained, which, if the enemy could have got possession of, would have enabled them to continue their attack upon Fort Pitt, and reduced the army to the greatest straights. For an object of that importance, every risk was to be run ; and the Colonel determined to send through the woods, with proper guides, a party of thirty men to join that garrison. They suc- ceeded by forced marches in that hazardous attempt, not having been discovered by the enemy till they came within sight of the fort, into which they threw themselves, after receiving some running shot.
Previous to that reinforcement of regulars, twenty volunteers, all good woodsmen, had been sent to Fort Ligonier by Capt. Ourry, who com- manded at Fort Bedford, another very considerable magazine of pro- visions and military stores, the principal and central post between Carlisle and Fort Pitt, being about one hundred miles distant from each. This fort was also in a ruinous condition, and very weakly garrisoned, although the two small intermediate posts, at the crossing of the Juniata and Stony creek, had been abandoned to strengthen it.
Here the distressed families, scattered for twelve or fifteen miles around, fled for protection, leaving most of their effects a prey to the savages.
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