USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 81
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On the second Sabbath in May, in the year 1782, being my appoint- ment at one of my meeting-houses, about a mile from my dwelling- house, I set out with my dear wife and five children for public worship. Not suspecting any danger, I walked behind 200 yards, with my Bible in my hand, meditating ; as I was thus employed, all on a sudden, I was greatly alarmed with the frightful shrieks of my dear family before me. I immediately ran, with all the speed I could, vainly hunting a club as I ran, till I got within forty yards of them ; my poor wife seeing me, cried to me to make my escape; an Indian ran up to shoot me ; I then fled, and by so doing outran him. My wife had a sucking child in her arms ; this little infant they killed and scalped. They then struck my wife several times, but not getting her down, the Indian who aimed to shoot me, ran to her, shot her through the body and scalped her ; my little boy, an only son, about six years old, they sunk the hatchet into his brain, and thus dispatched him. A daughter, besides the infant, they also killed and scalped. My eldest daughter, who is yet alive, was hid in a tree, about 20 yards from the place where the rest were killed, and saw the whole proceedings. She, seeing the Indians all go off, as she thought, got up, and deliberately crept out from the hollow trunk ; but one of them espying her, ran hastily up, and scalped her ; also her only surviving sister, one on whose head they did not leave more than an inch round, either of flesh or skin, besides taking a piece of her skull. She, and the before-mentioned one, are still miraculously preserved, though, as you may think, I have had, and still have, a great deal of trouble and expense with them, besides anxiety about them, insomuch that I am, as to worldly circumstances, almost ruined. I am yet in hopes of seeing them cured; they still, blessed be God, retain their senses, notwithstanding the painful operations they have already, and must yet pass through.
MUDDY CREEK, Washington co., July 8. 1785.
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GREENE COUNTY.
In several interesting numbers published in the National Intelligencer two or three years since, under the signature of " A Traveller," is the following paragraph relating to Greene county :
" The warrior, with his gun, hatchet, and knife, prepared alike to slay the deer and bear for food, and also to defend himself against and des- troy his savage enemy, was not the only kind of man who sought these wilds. A very interesting and tragic instance was given of the contrary by the three brothers Eckarlins. These men, Dunkard's by profession, left the eastern and cultivated parts of Pennsylvania, and plunged into the depths of the western wilderness. Their first permanent camp was on a creek flowing into the Monongahela river, in the south-western part of Pennsylvania, to which stream they gave the name of Dunkard's creek, which it still bears. These men of peace employed themselves in exploring the country in every direction, in which one vast, silent, and uncultivated waste spread around them. From Dunkard's creek these men removed to Dunkard's bottom, or Cheat river, which they made their permanent residence, and, with a savage war raging at no con- siderable distance, they spent some years unmolested ; indeed, it is pro- bable, unseen.
"In order to obtain some supplies of salt, ammunition, and clothing, Dr. Thomas Eckarlin recrossed the mountains with some peltry. On his return from Winchester to rejoin his brothers, he stopped on the south branch of the Potomac, at Fort Pleasant, and roused the curiosity of the inhabitants by relating his adventures, removals, and present resi- dence. His avowed pacific principles, as pacific religious principles have everywhere else done, exposed him to suspicion, and he was de- tained as a confederate of the Indians, and as a spy come to examine the frontier and its defences. In vain did Dr. Eckarlin assert his innocence of any connection with the Indians, and that, on the contrary, neither he nor his brothers had even seen an Indian since their residence west of the mountains. He could not obtain his liberty until, by his own sug- gestion, he was escorted by a guard of armed men, who were to recon- duct him a prisoner to Fort Pleasant, in case of any confirmation of the charges against him.
" These arbitrary proceedings, though in themselves very unjust, it is probable, saved the life of Dr. Eckarlin, and his innocence was made manifest in a most shocking manner. Approaching the cabin where he had left and anxiously hoped to find his brothers, himself and his guard were presented with a heap of ashes. In the yard lay the mangled and putrid remains of the two brothers, and, as if to add to the horrors of the scene, beside the corpses lay the hoops on which their scalps had been dried. Dr. Eckarlin and the now sympathizing men buried the remains, and not a prisoner, but a forlorn and desolate man, he re- turned to the South Branch. This was amongst the opening scenes of that lengthened tragedy which was acted through upwards of thirty years."
The following occurred within or near Greene county, then West- moreland :
" MADAM :- I have written to Mr. - , of your city, an account of an affair between a white man and two Indians. I am now about to
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APPENDIX-NO. XXXIII.
give you a relation in which you will see how a person of your sex acquitted herself in defence of her own life and that of her husband and children.
" The lady who is the subject of this story, is named Experience Bozarth. She lives on a creek called Dunkard creek, in the south-west corner of this county. About the middle of March last, two or three families, who were afraid to stay at home, gathered to her house and there stayed-looking on themselves to be safer than when all scattered about at their own houses.
" On a certain day, some of the children thus collected came running in from play, in great haste, saying there were ugly red-men. One of the men in the house stepped to the door, where he received a ball in the side of his breast, which caused him to fall back into the house. The Indian was immediately in over him, and engaged with another man who was in the house. The man tossed the Indian on a bed, and called for a knife to kill him. (Observe, these were a'l the men that were in the house.) Now Mrs. Bozarth appears the only help, who not finding a knife at hand, took up an axe that lay by, and with one blow cut out the brains of the Indian. At that instant, (for all was instantaneous,) a second Indian entered the door, and shot the man dead who was engaged with the Indian on the bed. Mrs. Bozarth turned to this second Indian, and with her axe gave him several large cuts, some of which let his en- trails appear. He bawled out, murder, murder. On this, sundry other Indians, (who had hitherto been fully employed, killing some children out of doors,) came rushing to his relief ; the head of one of these Mrs. Bozarth clave in two with her axe, as he stuck it in at the door, which laid him flat upon the ground. Another snatched hold of the wounded, bellowing fellow, and pulled him out of doors ; and Mrs. Bozarth, with the assistance of the man who was first shot in the door, and by this time a little recovered, shut the door after them, and fastened it, where they kept garrison for several days, the dead white man and dead Indian both in the house with them, and the Indian about the house besieging them. At length they were relieved by a party sent for that purpose. This whole affair, to shutting the door, was not, perhaps, more than three minutes in acting.
" WESTMORELAND, April 26, 1779."
[NO. XXXIII. ]
ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Armstrong county was erected March 12th, 1800. It was formed out of parts of Allegheny, Lycoming and Westmoreland, and the bound- aries defined :- " Beginning on the Allegheny river, at the mouth of Buffalo creek, the corner of Butler cuunty ; thence northerly along the line of the said county of Butler, to the northeast corner of the said county of Butler shall strike the Allegheny river, thence from the said corner on a line at a right angle from the first line of the county of
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Butler, until the said line shall strike the Allegheny river; thence by the western margin of the said river to the mouth of Toby's creek ; thence crossing the river and up the said creek to the dividing Wood's and Hamilton's districts ; thence southerly along the said line to the present line of Westmoreland county ; thence down the river to the mouth thereof on the Allegheny river ; thence across the said river to the west- wardly margin thereof; thence down the said river to the mouth of Buffalo creek, the corner of Butler county, the place of beginning." The boundaries of this county were changed in annexing part of it to Clarion county in 1839.
Jolin Craig, James Sloan, and James Barr, were appointed trustees, to receive or purchase land for county purposes. By an act, April 4, 1803, they were directed to survey one hundred and fifty acres of land, part of the Kittanning tract and part of which James and John Armstrong, had given to the Governor for the use of the county, to lay out lots for the public buildings ; and the residue into town and out lots, to sell them at public auction for the use of the county-to lay out a town to be called Kittanning, at the place where Gen. Armstrong defeated the In- dians, in the autumn of 1756.
ARMSTRONG COUNTY is bounded on the north by Clarion ; east by Jefferson and Indiana; south by Westmoreland, and west by Butler. 'The average length is 25 miles ; breadth 20; area about 620 square miles ; and contains 400,000 acres of land. Population in 1800, 2,399; in 1810, 6,143 ; in 1820, 10,324; in 1830, 17,625; in 1840, 28,365, at present, since part of Clarion has been separated from it, 18,865.
TOWNSHIPS-BOROUGHS .*
POPULATION.
Wayne,
Plumcreek,
1,340
1,456
2,216
Allegheny,
820
1,443
2,966
1,839
Monroe,
943
2,042
1,660
3,070
Clarion,
2,067
2,239
Freeport borough,
309
318
526
702
Perry,
853
1,122
Toby,
611
1,156
1,362
1,829
Madison,
1,113
1,482
1,870
1,852
Franklin,
1,713
Buffalo,
1,150
1,597
2,458
1,820
Kitnanning,
1,197
976
1,629
702
Pine,
1,227
Total,
6,143 10,324 17,625 28,365
The male adult population were variously employed ; 29 in mining ;
* Several of these townships are now in Clarion county.
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1820. 1830. 878
1840.
1,875
Kiskiminetas,
2,287
1,151
Red Bank,
727
Kittanning borough,
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APPENDIX-NO. XXXIII.
5,052 in agriculture ; 95 in commerce ; 711 in manufactures and trades ; 36 in navigation of canals and lakes, and 64 in the learned professions.
The surface of this county is diversified-hilly and rolling-in many places broken-large bodies of lands are almost worthless, unfit for cultivation ; others are suited only to the growth of timber; while ex- tensive portions are found which may be classed among the richest lands in the State. The alluvial bottoms along the streams are highly prized for their fertility, and are generally thickly settled and carefully cultiva- ted. "The hills, though steep, are clothed with a dense forest, pre- senting the appearance of a vast verdant wall, washed at its base, on either hand by the limpid water of the river, alternately pushing over ripples, or sleeping in deep intervening pools."
This county abounds with bituminous coal, limestone and iron ore, which are rapidly adding wealth to the country, as they are brought into productive usefulness. Furnaces and other manufacturing establish- ments are springing up. The salt works on the Allegheny and Kiski- minetas, add much to the wealth of this county. Some of the salt works have been in operation more than 25 years. To obtain a supply of salt water the earth is perforated to the depth of 400 to 700 feet. The whole amount of salt manufactured annually with this county is about 325,000 bushels.
The following exhibits the real wealth of this county, in 1840 :
Furnaces 3, produced 1,034 tons of cast iron, employed 141 hands, including mining operations, capital $48,000 ; raised 705,490 bushels of bituminous coal, employed 61 hands, capital $9,347 ; manufactured 322,030 bushels of salt, 68 men employed, capital $57,034.
Live stock .- 14,434 horses and mules ; 26,110 neat cattle, 54,815 sheep ; 54,815 sheep; 39,621 swine ; poultry, valued $11,878.
Cereal grains, &c .- Wheat, 289,789 bushels ; 337 barley ; 508,998 oats ; 138,120 rye ; 85,040 buckwheat ; 171,089 corn; pounds of wool, 80,416 ; hops, 1,528 ; wax, 1602; bushels of potatoes, 170,046 ; hay, 17,341 tons ; sugar, 21,605 ; products of the dairy, valued $46,854; of the orchard, $9,017 ; of home-made goods, $51,152.
Commerce, &c .- 79 stores of all kinds, capital $186,200. Value of machinery, $19,660. Woollen manufactures 2, value of goods, $7.200, capital $13,650. Tanneries 25, tanned 2,569 sides of sole, 4,276 up- per leather, capital $17,750 ; value of other manufactures of leather, $2,850. Distilleries 25, produced 20,633 gallons, capital $11,290 .- Grist-mills, 68; saw-mills, 91. Number of houses erected, of brich 12, wooden 147. Total capital invested in manufactures, $255,825.
'The aggregate amount of property taxable in 1845, was $1,618,800,- 00; whereof $1,398,535,00 was real estate.
The Allegheny river passes nearly in a direction from north to south through the western part of this county, receiving in its course through it, from the east side, Redbank, Mahoning, Pine, Cowanshannock, Crooked creeks, and the Kiskiminetas* river; from the west, Buffalo creek and several smaller tributaries, and is navigable for steam boats
*The Indians called this river, Kee-ak-kshe-man-nit-toos, which signifies Cut Spirit .- M'Cutlough's Narrative.
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
from Pittsburg to Warren, in Warren county. Redbank creek, formed by the union of the Big and Little Sandy Lick creeks, forms the northern boundary of Armstrong county. Mahoning creek, (or Mohul- bucteetam,) a large and rapid stream, rises on the east border of Jeffer- son county, after flowing about forty miles, falls into the Allegheny river ten miles above Kittaning. Cowanshannock creek risses on the west border of Indiana county, flows westward, and empties into the Allegheny river two miles above Kittaning. Crooked creek rises also in Indiana county, and flows west and north-west through Armstrong, into the Allegheny river, six miles below Kittaning borough. This creek affords many good mill seats. Six or seven large flouring mills are in operation on its banks. The Kiskiminetas river, formed by the union of Conemaugh river and the Loyalhanna, with their tributaries, . forms the southern boundary of this county ; it is one of the largest tributaries of the Allegheny ; it is noted for the salt works in its vicinity, and forms an important link in the chain of canals. Buffalo creek rises in Sugar creek township, flows southward about twenty miles, affording in its course water power for a number of mills, and empties into the Allegheny two miles below the mouth of the Kiskiminetas. Besides these there are several other creeks in this county : Piney, Mill, Licking, Plum, Bear, Catfish, Limestone; and some runs : Glade, Laurel, Cherry, Denniston's, &c.
The Pennsylvania canal passes along the whole southern boundary of this county, a distance of twenty-five miles. A turnpike road passes through Kittaning to Butler. Common roads are generally kept in good order; they are always passable.
Education receives a due share of attention. 'The Kittaning Academy, incorporated April 2, 1821, to which the State gave $2,000, exerts a good influence in the cause. There are 14 school districts, and 152 common schools, in which 3,585 males, and 2,907 females were taught five months in 1845. A school tax of $4,242,14 was levied. 'T'he State appropriation was $2.429,94. Teachers were paid $16,25 per month.
The principal religious denominations are Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, German Reformed, Episcopalians, Associate Presbyterians.
KITTANING, laid out in 1804, formerly the site of an old Indian town of the same name, the seat of justice, is situated on the east of the Alle- gheny river, forty miles north-east from Pittsburg. The town was in- corporated April 2d, 1821. It has a court-house, a prison, an academy, a female seminary, and several churches. Population in 1840, 1,323. The place is healthy, and well situated for manufacturing purposes .-- Coal is abundant in the neighborhood of the town. The Allegheny affords ready access to market by boats. A turnpike road leads sixteen miles west to Butler, and another twenty-four miles south-east to Indi- ana. 'The river is crossed here by a ferry boat, driven by the force of the current.
The old Indian village that occupied this site was destroyed* by John Armstrong, in 1756.
*See Armstrong's Expedition for an account of its destruction.
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APPENDIX-NO. XXXIII.
Freeport, sixteen miles below Kittaning, and twenty-eight from Pitts- burg, is a flourishing town on the Allegheny river. It was laid out by Mr. David Todd, in 1796, and for a long time known as Toddstowu .- It contains five churches, two steam woollen factories, a steam grist-mill, and saw-mill. Population in 1840, 727. The Western division of the Pennsylvania canal crosses the Allegheny above, passes through the centre of the town, and then crosses Buffalo creek on an aqueduct, a short distance below. 'This place is the principal depot for merchan- dize coming from the eastward for the supply of Armstrong and other northern counties on the Allegheny river.
LEECHBURG, named after Mr. Leech, the well known and distinguished forwarding merchant, who started this village at the time when the canal · was making, is situated on the canal, 15 miles from Kittanning, and 35 from Pittsburg. It contains about fifty dwellings, several stores, &c. At this place there is a large dam built across the Kiskiminetas river, 27 feet high and 574 long, constructed for the purpose of feeding the canal from that point to Pittsburg. This forins an immense water power, which belongs to the State, and will, when applied to propelling all kinds of machinery, make Leechburg a place of great importance. The business of building canal boats has been extensively carried on here.
Washington, Warren, Middletown, Lawrenceburg, are small villages, with a population of from 125 to 300.
"Several of the exploits of Capt. Samuel Braly, the captain of the spies, occurred within the limits of Armstrong county. The extract given below is from the sketches of Brady's adventures published in the Blairsville Record in 1832. These sketches were written by Mr. McCabe, of Indiana, and the facts were principally derived from the brother of Capt. Brady, who still lives in Indiana county.
"Capt. Samuel Brady was born in Shippensburg, in Cumberland county, in 1758, but soon after removed with his father to the West Branch of Susquehanna, a few miles above Northumberland. Cradled amid the alarms and excitements of a frontier exposed to savage war- fare, Brady's military propensities were very early developed. He eagerly sought a post in the revolutionary army ; was at the siege of Boston ; a lieutenant at the massacre of the Paoli; and in 1779 was ordered to Fort Pitt with the regiment under Gen. Broadhead. A short tine previous to this, both his father and brother had fallen by the hands of Indians ; and from that moment Brady took a solemn oath of ven- gence against all Indians. And his future life was devoted to the fulfil- ment of his vow. While Gen. Broadhead held command at Fort Pitt, (1780-81,) Brady was often selected to command sniall scouting parties sent into the Indian country north and west of the fort, to watch the movements of the savages ; a charge which Brady always fulfilled with his characteristic courage and sagacity.
" Brady's success as a partisan had acquired for him its usual results -approbation with some, and envy with others. Some of his brother officers censured the commandant for affording him such frequent op- portunities for honorable distinction. At length open complaint was made, accompanied by a request, in the nature of a demand, that others should be permitted to share with Brady the perils and honors of the [344 ]
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
service, abroad from the fort. The general apprised Brady of what had passed, who readily acquiesced in the propriety of the proposed ar- rangements; and an opportunity was not long wanting for testing its efficiency.
" 'The Indians made an inroad into the Sewickly settlement, commit- ting the most barbarous murders, of men, women and children ; stealing such property as was portable, and destroying all else. The alarm was brought to Pittsburg, and a party of soldiers, under the command of the emulous officers, despatched for the protection of the settlements, and chastisement of the foe, From this expedition Brady was of course excluded ; but the restraint was irksome to his feelings.
" The day after the detachment had marched, Brady solicited permis- sion from his commander to take a small party for the purpose of "catching the Indians ;" but was refused. By dint of importunity, however, he at length wrung from him a reluctant consent, and the conimand of five men ; to this he added his pet Indian, and made hasty preparation.
"Instead of moving towards Sewickly, as the first detachment had done, he crossed the Allegheny at Pittsburg, and proceeded up the river. Conjecturing that the Indians had descended that stream in canoes, till near the settlement, he was careful to examine the mouths of all creeks coming into it, particularly from the southeast. At the mouth of Big Mahoning, about six miles above Kittanning, the canoes were seen drawn up to its western bank. He instantly retreated down the river, and waited for night. As soon as it was dark, he made a raft, and crossed to the Kittanning side. He then proceeded up to the creek, and found that the Indians had, in the meantime, crossed the creek, as their canoes were now drawn to its upper or northeastern bank.
"The country on both sides of Mahoning, at its mouth, is rough and mountainous; and the stream, which was then high, very rapid. Sev- eral ineffectual attempts were made to wade it, which they at length suc- ceeeed in doing, three or four miles above the canoes. Next a fire was made, their clothing dried, and arms inspected ; and the party moved towards the Indian camp, which was pitched on the second bank of the river. Brady placed his men at some distance, on the lower or first bank.
" The Indians had brought from Sewickly a stallion, which they had fettered and turned to pasture on the lower bank. An Indian, probably the owner, under the law of arms, came frequently down to him, and occasioned the party no little trouble. The horse, too, seemed willing to keep their company, and it required cor siderable circumspection to avoid all intercourse with either. Brady became so provoked that he had a strong inclination to tomahawk the Indian, but his calmer judg- ment repudiated the act, as likely to put to hazard a more decisive and important achievement.
"At length the Indians seemed quiet, and the captain determined to pay them a closer visit. He had got quite near their fires ; his pet In- dian had caught him by the hair and gave it a pluck, intimating the advice to retire, which he would not venture to whisper; but finding Brady regardless of it, had crawled off-when the captain, who was scanning their numbers, and the position of their guns, observed one
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APPENDIX-NO. XXXIV.
throw off his blanket and rise to his feet. It was altogether impracti- cable for Brady to move without being seen. He instantly decided to remain where he was, and risk what might happen. He drew his head slowly beneath the brow of the bank, putting his forehead to the earth for concealment. His next sensation was that of warm water poured into the hollow of his neck, as from the spout of a teapot, which, trick -. ling down his back over the chilled skin, produced a feeling that evenn his iron nerves could scarce master. He felt quietly for his tomahawk, and had it been about him he probably would have used it; but he had divested himself even of that when preparing to approach the fires, lest by striking against the stones or gravel, it might give alarm. He was compelled, therefore, " nolens volens," to submit to this very unpleasant operation, until it should please his warriorship to refrain ; which he soon did, and returning to his place wrapped himself up in his blanket, and composed himself for sleep as if nothing had happened.
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