USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 4
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(2) Bancroft's His. U. S., vol. III., pages 344, 241.
(3) Bancroft's His. U. S., vol. II., page 297.
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Governor to complain; but their messengers were not returned when they came from home. That they know nothing certainly of what pass- ed between Cahichtodo and the Shawanese at Ohio.
Before the conclusion of the conference, Hetaquantagechty, speaker, and chiefs, agreed to join the English, in calling back the Shawanese from Ohio-they conceived this could be done by preventing the English Indian traders from going to Ohio, for while, said they, the Indians are supplied at that place with such goods as they want, they will be more unwilling to remove-this must be done to recall the Shawanese. That they will order Cahichtodo, the French agent, to remove from Ohio, and doubt not, least they would oblige him to it. This they would mention at their great council fire, immediately on their return home. (1.2)
They also stated, that Onontigo, (Governor of Canada,) and Corlaer, (Governor of New York,) would soon have war-that they heard so from Tiochteage. (3)
In December, 1731, Gov. Gordon, sent a message to the Shawanese, at Allegheny, to come to Philadelphia; accordingly, Opakethwa and Opakeita, two of their chiefs, with two others, viz :- Quassenungh and Kataweykeita, came to Philadelphia. Sept. 28, 1732-appeared before Thomas Penn and council. Sept. 30th-the Governor, Patrick Gordon, asked them why they had gone so far back as Allegheny ? That their king on the Potomac had died ; that they then went to Allegheny. They were also asked, why they had been so frequently at Canada ? Opak- ethwa said, that when they went to Allegheny, they went with a French trader, who told them, that the French Governor, their father, desired earnestly to see them at Montreal ; but that they had no intentions to forsake the English. The Governor at Montreal told them, that he had no bad designs ; that he had also sent for the Six Nations-recom- mended to them to love all Christians-that before long, the French and English traders would meet at Allegheny and exchange goods, and carry on commercial trade. (4)
1732-They were then asked, whether they knew the French inten- ded to build some houses at Allegheny ? They answered, they did not. They were then acquainted with the fact, that a treaty had been lately held with the Six Nations, for the professed object, to unite the Indian Na- tions in the English interest together-that for thirty years the Shaw- anese were counted as included in the league of friendship. It was then
(1) Prov. Rec. Il1, p. 473.
(3) Montreal, p. 745.
(2) Gordan, Pa., p. 213.
(4) Gordon, Pa., p. 214.
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proposed to them, to come and settle on Paxton Manor, opposite Harris' Ferry. They, however, were satisfied, that when they were there settled, (Allegheny,) it suited them better than to live nearer. It was proposed to run a line around the Paxton Manor, and none but Peter Chartier should be allowed to live on it.
1733-The Shawanese complained of Peter Cheaver, (Shaver,) an Indian trader-that although the traders were prohibited to bring rum, that he, above all others, brought it to Shamokin-then threatened to go to Allegheny, contrary to what was agreed upon between the government of Pennsylvania, and Six Nations-that by this means, the difficulty would be increased, to bring the Indians from that part of the country.
1734-At a conference at Philadelphia, Oct. 15th, 1734, Helaquant- agechty stated, that the Six Nations had, as they were desired at the last treaty, sent messengers to the Shawanese, at Allegheny, to prevail with them to return towards Susquehanna, who informed them, that they would remove further to the northward, towards the French country- that the Shawanese sent the Delawares a belt of wampum, informing them, that as they had to seek out a new country for themselves, they should be glad to have the Delawares with them. But Sassoonan, the Delaware chief, forbade any of his people to go with the Shawanese, and desired that the Shawanese should return to the Susquehanna .- Helaquantagechty expressed the fear, that if the Shawanese should go over to the French, the Delawares would follow.
1735, Sept. 10th-Helaquantagechty, again stated, that messengers had been sent to prevail on the Shawanese, at Allegheny, to return to Susquehanna ; that the Shawanese had utterly refused to leave the place. He then added, that one tribe of those Shawanese, had never behaved themselves badly ; they seemed not to have good designs ; the Six Nations were not satisfied with them.
When the messengers insisted upon their return, or removal to Sus- quehanna, the Shawanese took such a dislike to the speaker, Sagahan- dechty; and some months after, the other chiefs returned, whom they murdered under circumstances of much cruelty. This tribe* then fled to the place from whence they had came some four or five years before.
Ultimately, they became completely disaffected-their alienation, as well as that of other tribes, (1745) was greatly dreaded, especially after a party of them had been killed (1742) by a considerable number of Eng- lish, near James River, Va. This affair caused great alarm in Virginia,
* This tribe was called Shaweygria, and consisted of about thirty young men, ten old men and several women and children ; but had returned to the place whence they came, below Carolina.
3
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Maryland and Pennsylvania. Governor Thomas dispatched a messen- ger to Conrad Weiser, the provincial interpreter, to renew assurances of friendship, and propose his mediation between the Indians and the gov- ernment of Virginia. This proposition induced them to hold a treaty the ensuing spring, (1745,) and to refrain from hostility in the mean time. The conference was held at Lancaster, and was attended, in per- son, by the Governor of Virginia, and by agents of Virginia and Mary- land. All matters of dispute, between the parties, were satisfactorily settled. The Indians engaged to prevent the French, and the Indians in their alliance, from marching through their country, to attack the English settlements.
1745-The Shawanese Indians, on the Ohio, who had lately shown symptoms of disaffection to the English, and subserviency to the French cause, now openly assumed a hostile character. Peter Chartier, a half blood and trader, was a French spy. In 1743, he had endeavored to engage the Shawanese in a war with the Six Nations. Being suspec- ted, he fled to the Shawanese, and persuaded them to declare for the French, and was recompensed with a French commission, under which he committed numerous depredations.
1747-Some Indians on the banks of Ohio, connected with the Six Nations, visited Philadelphia, to tender their homage, and to invite the province to send commissioners to a council fire, at which the neighbor ing nations were present. Impressed with the importance of such a conference, the council invited the governments of Maryland and Vir- ginia to send their agents, and to unite in preparing a suitable present. On the part of Pennsylvania, goods were provided to the value of one thousand pounds, and Conrad Weiser was selected as envoy. The in- structions given to him (which see in his Journal of 1748*) display pretty fully the provincial policy at the time.
The French now entered upon actual explorations of the regions about the Allegheny and Ohio. They ascertained the geography of the country, and the proximity of English settlements on the south side of the Allegheny mountains. They took active measures to extend their trade among the Indians; well aware that in case of a rupture, the sav- ages would prove useful auxilaries, or dangerous enemies.t They did
*No. Ill. and IV. Appendix, page 10-23.
+One of the first symptoms of an approaching war between France and England, was a dispute about boundaries, as early as 1747. The English ex- tended their claims to the river St. Lawrence, while the French on their part contended for all the country to the westward of the Apalachian mountains. It was not believed at that time, that either intended to insist on the extent of its claims ; but it will appear in the sequel that France was extravagant in
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all they could to counteract the influence of the Ohio company (of which an extended notice is given in the appendix,) among the Indians, by trading with them. Beside, the Marquis Gallisoniere, Governor General of New France, (as all the western country was called by them) in the year 1749, sent out an expedition commanded by Louis Celeron, for the purpose of depositing medals at all important places, such as the mouths of the most considerable streams.
The following is the inscription of one of these plates, found at Ve- nango :
LAN. 1749. DV PEGNE DE LOVIS XV ROY DE FRANCE NOVS CELERON COMMANDANT DVN DETACHMENT EN- VOIE PAR MONSIEUR LE M'IS DE LA GALISSONIERE COMMANDANT GENERAL DE LA NOUVELLE FRANCE POVR RE TABLIR LA TRANQUILLITE DANS QVELQVES VILLAGES SAUVAGES DE CES CANTONS AVONS ENTER- RE CE PLAQUVE AU CONFVTENT DE L'OHYO ET DE TORADAKOJN CE 29 JUILLET PRES DE LA RIVIERE OYO AUTREMENT BELLE RIVIERE POUR MONUMENT DE RE RENOUVELLEMENT DE POSSESION QUE NUOS AVONS PRIS DE LA DITTE RIVIERE OYO ET DE TOVTES CELLES QUI Y TOMBENT ET DE TOUTES LES TERRES DES DEUX COTES JUSQUE AVX SOVRCE'S DES DITTES RIVIERES AINSI QVE'N ONT JOVY OV DV JOVIR LAES PRECEDENTS ROIS DE FRANCE ET QUILS SY SONT MAINTENUS PAR LES ARMES ET PAR LES TRAITES SPECIALMENT PAR CEVS DE RISWICK D'VTRECHT ET D'AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. LITERAL TRANSLATION.
In the year 1749, reign of Louis XV., King of France, we, Celeron, commandant of a detachment by Monsieur the Marquis of Galisso- niere, commander-in-chief of New France, to establish tranquility in certain Indian villages of these cantons, have buried this plate at the confluence of TORADAKOIN, this 29th of July, near the river Ohio, otherwise Beautiful river, as a monument of renewal of possession which we have taken of the said river, and all its tributaries, and of all the land on both sides, as far as to the sources of said rivers ; inasmuch as the preceding kings of France have enjoyed (this possession) and
her pretensions. Perhaps the proximity of settlement, and the reciprocal attempts to corrupt the Indians, and to precipitate them into hostilities with the times, served to inflame the gathering storm, and to hasten its approach.
After the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, the French ministry more attentively examined the strength and resources of Canada and Louisiana .- The position of these colonies, stretching from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to that of the Mississippi, with an almost uninterrupted inland water commu- nication between the extremities of both, seemed to unfold the means of sub- duing the English power in America. (I)
(1) Stoddard's Louisiana, p. 66.
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HISTORY OF
maintained it by their arms and by treaties, especially by those of Ris- wick, Utrecht, and Aix-la-Chapelle.
A similar plate was found a few years ago, at Point Pleasant, at the confluence of the Great Kanawha and Ohio, by a young lad, son of J. W. Beale, Esq., with a similar inscription, except the words, "at the mouth of the river CHINODAHIHETHA, this 18th day of January."
January 17, 1749-50 .- The Governor informed the council that three several letters of an extraordinary nature in French, signed " CELERON," were delivered to him by the Indian traders who came from Allegheny, informing him that this captain Celeron was a French officer, and had the command of three hundred French, and some Indians sent this sum- mer to Ohio and Wabash and from Canada, to reprove the Indians there for their friendship to the English, and for suffering the English to trade with them. The Governor sent one of the letters to the Proprieta- ries in London, and another to the Governor of New York, that the same might be laid before the ministry. The following is a translation of one of these :
From our camp on Belle River, at an ancient village of the Chona- nons, 6th August, 1749.
SIR :- Having been sent with a detachment into these quarters by Monsieur the Marquis de la Galissoniere, commandant general of New France, to reconcile among themselves certain savage nations, who are ever at variance on account of the war just terminated, I have been much surprised to find some traders of your government in a country to which England never had any pretensions. It even appears that the same opinion is entertained in New England, since in many of the vil- lages I have passed through, the English who were trading there have mostly taken flight. Those whom I first fell in with, and by whom I write you, I have treated with all mildness possible, although I would have been justified in treating them as interlopers and men without de- sign, their enterprise being contrary to the preliminaries of peace signed five months ago. I hope, sir, you will carefully prohibit for the future this trade, which is contrary to treaties ; and give notice to your traders that they will expose themselves to great risks in returning to these countries, and that they must impute only to themselves the misfortunes they may meet with. I know that our commandant general would be very sorry to have recourse to violence, but he has orders not to permit foreign traders in his government.
I have the honor to be with great respect,
Sir, your humble and obedient servant,
CELERON.
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In 1752 and 1753, the French erected forts at Crown Point, Niagara, Riviere au Beuf, (within the limits of Erie county) and at Venango, at the mouth of French creek, (within the limits of Venango county.)- These movements greatly alarmed the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Gov- ernor of Virginia, who despatched George Washington, late in the year 1753, to the French forts, to demand an explanation of their designs. (1)
The French, notwithstanding, made advances, attended with hostile appearances; but they were not viewed with indifference. Complaints were made to the French court, which extorted reiterated promises of redress, without the least intention of performing them; and, to gain as much time as possible, the English were answered with the most speci- cious reasons for the delay of retribution. This evasive conduct was considered as tantamount to a direct denial of justice ; particularly when it was known, that the French were fortifying themselves along the lakes, and on the Ohio and Mississippi. The English cabinet resolved to be no longer amused by the artifices of the French. Orders were des patched in 1754, to the Governors of the provinces, directing them to resort to force in defence of their rights, and to drive the French from their station on the Ohio. The New England provinces formed a political confederacy for mutual defence. Measures had been taken as early as 1748, by the Governors of Pennsylvania and Virginia, to con- ciliate the Indians on the Ohio. For that purpose, as already stated, Anthony Palmer, president of the council, charged Conrad Weiser* in his instruction, "to use the utmost diligence to acquire a perfect knowl- edge of the number, situation, disposition and strength of all the Indians in or near those parts, whether they be friends, neutrals or enemies, and to be very particular in knowing the temper and influence of the tribes of Indians who sent deputies to receive him, for by the knowledge of these matters, he was to regulate the distribution of the goods which were to be divided amongst them." Mr. Weiser arrived at Logstown August 26, 1748; held a conference with the Indians ; left September 19.
"The region on and about the Ohio and its numerous tributaries, was then only used as a hunting ground by the Mingoes and Shawanese Indians, and as a highway for parties at war of different nations, in their martial expeditions against each other. By reason of the unceas- ing hostilities between the more northren and southern Indians, these expeditions were frequent, and tended to retard the whites from attempt-
(1) See his Journal in the Appendix, pages 34-50.
* See Appendix Nos. Il and III, pages 10-23.
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HISTORY OF
ing to settle sooner. Near the junction of the Allegheny and the Mon- ongahela, no attempts were made to commence settlements till the Ohio company made the attempt; and till after 1758; and not to any extent till the Indians had nearly all deserted this region of country ; and ex- cepting a few straggling hunters and warriors, who occasionally traver- sed in quest of game, or of human beings on whom to wreak their vengeance, almost the only tenants were beasts of the forest."
The Ohio company, or Virginians, in the spring of 1754, commenced the erection, of a fort at or near the juncture of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers ; but before this redoubt or fort had been completed, Monsieur de Contracœur, a French officer, with sixty batteaux and three hundred canoes, containing one thousand French and Indians, besides eighteen pieces of cannon and fire-arms, from fort Venango, arrived here ; and in April, 1754, Contracœur sent Chevalier Le Mer- cier, captain of the Artillery of Canada, a summons to the commander of those engaged in erecting the fort, informing him that he, Contracœur, " was come out into this place, charged with orders from his General, to request him (the English commander) to retreat peaceably with his troops from off the lands of the French King, and not to return, or else he would find himself obliged to fulfill his duty, and compel him to it." "I hope," continues Contracœur, in his summons, "you will not de- fer one instant, and that you will not force me to the last extremity. In that case, sir, you may be persuaded that I will give orders that there shall be no damage done by my detachment."
Ensign Ward, (in the absence of Capt. Trent and Lieut. Frazier,) who commanded a party of forty one men, surrendered, and evacuated the fort. Ward was allowed to withdraw his men and take his tools with them. (1)
This was considered the first overt act of hostility of the memorable French war of 1754-58. The French retained possession here, after erecting a fort, till Nov. 1758.
The Ohio company had erected several store houses, to carry on trade with the Indians. The block-house and truck-house, erected by the company at Logstown, were surprised by the French, (1754), the French found here skins and other commodities to the amount of £20,000, destroyed all the English traders, except two, who found means of escape. (2)
Gov. Dinwiddie, of Virginia, now resorted to more active measures to
(1) Spark's Life of Washington, vol. 1, p. 11, 12.
(2) Smollet's History of England, vol. III, p. 569.
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repel the French. A campaign was commenced against fort Duquesne, as named after the surrender. Three hundred men were raised and placed under the command of Col. Fry, with George Washington as Lieutenant Colonel. This regiment marched to a place called the Great Meadows, near the Youghiogheny river. Near this they surprised a party of French and Indians, and the commanding officer, named Jumon- ville, was killed. The command of an entire regiment, on the death of Fry, devolved upon Washington. The remainder of this regiment having joined him at the Meadows, he pushed forward to preoccupy the fort at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers ; but on his march to that point, a superior force of French and Indians met him, who shortly afterwards attacked him in a hastily built stockade, and com- pelled him after considerable resistance, to capitulate at fort Necessity, which he called his stockade.
Measures had been taken by different missionaries in 1748, and Cro- ghan in 1751, to detach the Indians from French influence, but they had been unavailing. The French were too wily and able as diplomatists, with these simple people. Complaints were also made to the French King on the repeated aggressions of his subjects ; but, as it was evident, that he considered Ohio, and all the recent establishments made in that quarter, as within his territories, a rupture was deemed inevitable, and both nations prepared for it. French troops were sent out to Canada, and all the posts in that province, as well as in Louisiana, put in the best possible state of defence. A temporary dissention among the Eng- lish colonies, rendered it difficult to collect a sufficient force to oppose them for a season. In the meantime the English government had made preparation to repel force by force.
Early in the spring of 1755, General Braddock, arrived with a force from England. He commenced his preparations to repel and subdue the French, but he was defeated .*
* See chapter V.
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CHAPTER II.
FIRST OR EARLY SETTLEMENTS WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES-ON THE HEAD WATERS OF OHIO-IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES-THE TRIALS AND DIFFICUL- TIES TO WHICH THEY WERE INCIDENT-DISPUTES, ETC .- MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
Western Pennsylvania was untrodden by the foot of the white man before the year 1700. As early as 1715 and 1720, occasionally a trader would venture west of the Allegheny mountain; and of these the first was James Le Tort, who resided in 1700, east of the Susquehanna, but took up his residence west of it, Le Tort spring, Carlisle, in 1720; Peter Cheaver, John Evans, Henry Devoy, Owen Nicholson, Alex. . Magenty, Patrick Burns, George Hutchison, all of Cumberland county ; Barnaby Currin, John McQuire, a Mr. Frazier; the latter of whom had at an early day a trading house at Venango; but afterwards, at the Monongahela, at the mouth of Turtle creek-were all traders among the Indians. But no attempt had been made by the whites at settlements, in the region now occupied by the several counties west of the Alleghe- nies, before 1748, when the Ohio company was formed. (1) This com- pany sent out the undaunted Christopher Gist, in 1750, to explore the country and make report. He, it is said, explored the country " from the South Branch of the Potomac, northward to the heads of Juniata river, crossed the mountains, and reached the Allegheny, by the valley of Kiskiminitas. He crossed the Allegheny about four miles above the forks, where Pittsburg now stands, thence went down the Ohio to some point below Beaver river, and thence over to the Muskingum val- ley." The first actual settlement made was within the present limits of Fayette county, in 1752, by Mr. Gist himself, on a tract of land, now well known there as Mount Braddock, west of the Youghiogheny river, Mr. Gist induced eleven families to settle around him on lands pre- sumed to be within the Ohio company's grant.
The more southern part of Western Pennsylvania, (Greene, Wash- ington, Fayette, and part of Somerset,) which was supposed to be within the boundaries of Virginia, was visited by adventurers from Maryland, prior to 1754. Among these were Wendel Brown, and his two sons, and Frederick Waltzer, who lived four miles west of Uniontown. David 'Tygart had settled in the valley which still bears his name in north- western Virginia, several other families came here a few years afterwards. These were the only settlements attempted prior to Braddock's defeat,
(1) See appendix, No. I.
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and those made immediately afterwards, or prior to 1760, were repeat- edly molested-families murdered, cabins burnt, and for a time broken up, alternately abandoned and again occupied.
The treaty of 1762, brought quiet and repose to some extent to the English colonies, and the first settlers on the frontiers returned to their abandoned farms ; but they were soon again obliged to leave their homes, and retire for safety to the more densely settled parts. Bouquet prose- cuted his campaign with success against the Indians, and in November, 1764, compelled the turbulent and restless Kyashuta to sue for peace, and bury the hatchet on the plains of Muskingum, and finally humbled the Delawares and Shawanese. Soon after the refugee settlers returned to their cabins and clearings, resumed their labors, extended their im- provements, and cultivated their lands. From this time forth, the prosperity of Pennsylvania increased rapidly, and the tide of immigra- tion with consequent settlements, rolled westward; though the pioneer settlers were afterwards greatly exposed.
Previous to 1758, Westmoreland was a wilderness trodden by the wild beast, the savage, and like other portions of Western Pennsylvania by an occasional white trader or frontier man. No settlements were attempted prior to this date, when fort Duquesne, afterwards fort Pitt, was abandoned by the French, became an English military post, and formed a nucleus for an English settlement, and two years afterwards (1760) a small town was built near Fort Pitt, which contained nearly two hundred souls ; but on the breaking out of the Indian war, in 1763, the inhabitants retired into the fort, and their dwellings were suffered to fall into decay. (1) In 1765 Pittsburg was laid out.
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