USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 86
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But the trials and dangers of the day I had passed, had so completely exhausted nature, that notwithstanding my unpleasant situation, and my determination to escape if possible, I insensibly fell asleep, and repeat- edly dreamed of my escape, and safe arrival in Pittsburgh, and several things relating to the town, of which I knew nothing at the time ; but found to be true when I arrived there. The first night passed away, and I found no means of escape, for the savages kept watch the whole of the night, without any sleep.
In the morning one of them left us, to watch the trail or path we had come, to see if any white people were pursuing us. During the absence of the Indian,-the one that claimed me, and who remained with me, and who was the murderer of my last boy, took from his bosom his scalp, and prepared a hoop, and stretched the scalp upon it. Those mothers who have not seen the like done by one of the scalps of their own children, (and few, if any, ever had so much misery to endure,) will be able to form but faint ideas of the feelings which then harrowed up my soul ! I meditated revenge ! While he was in the very act, I attempted to take his tomahawk, which hung by his side and rested on the ground, and had nearly succeeded, and was, as I thought, about to give the fatal blow, when, alas ! I was detected.
The savage felt me at his tomahawk handle, turned round upon me, cursed me, and told me I was a Yankee ; thus insinuating he understood my intention, and to prevent me from doing so again, faced me. My excuse to him for handling his tomahawk was, that my child wanted to play with the handle of it. Here again I wondered at my merciful pre- servation, for the looks of the Indian were terrific in the extreme ; and these, I apprehend, were only an index to his heart. But God was my preserver !
The savage who went upon the look-out in the morning, came back about twelve o'clock. and had discovered no pursuers. Then the one who had been guarding me went out on the same errand. The savage who was now my guard, began to examine me about the white people, the strength of the armies going against them, &c., and boasted largely of their achievements in the preceding fall, at the defeat of Gen. St. Clair.
He then examined into the plunder which he had brought from our house the day before. He found my pocket-book and money in his plunder. There were ten dollars in silver, and a half a guinea in gold in the book. During this day they gave me a piece of dry venison, about the bulk of an egg, and a piece about the same size, the day we were marching, for my support, and that of my child ; but owing to the
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APPENDIX -- NO. XXXV.
· blows I had received from them in my jaws, I was unable to eat a bit of it. I broke it up and gave it to the child.
'The savage on the look-out returned about dark. 'This evening, (Monday, the 23d,) they moved me to another station in the same val- ley, and secured me as they did the preceding night. Thus I found myself the second night between two Indians, without fire or refresh- ment. During this night I was frequently asleep, notwithstanding my unpleasant situation, and as often dreamed of my arrival in Pittsburgh.
Early on the morning of the 24th, a flock of mocking birds and robins hovered over us, as we lay in our uncomfortable bed; and sung, and said, at least to my imagination, that I was to get up and go off. As soon as day broke, one of the Indians went off again to watch the trail, as on the preceding day, and he who was left to take care of me, ap- peared to be sleeping. When I perceived this, I lay still and began to snore, as though asleep, and he fell asleep.
Then I concluded it was time to escape. I found it impossible to in- jure him for my child at the breast, as I could not effect any thing with- out putting the child down, and then it would cry, and give the alarm ; so I contented myself witlı taking from a pillow-case of plunder, taken from our house, a short gown, handkerchief, and child's frock, and so made my escape ; the sun then being about half an hour high.
I took a direction from home, at first. being guided by the birds before mentioned, and in order to deceive the Indians ; then took over the hill, and struck the Connequenessing creek about two miles from where I crossed it with the Indians, and went down the stream till about two o'clock in the afternoon, over rocks, precipices, thorns, briars, &c., with my bare feet and legs. I then discovered by the sun, and the running of the stream, that I was on the wrong course, and going from, instead of coming nearer home. I then changed my course, ascended a bill, and sat down till sunset, and the evening star made its appearance, when I discovered the way I should travel ; and having marked out the direc- tion I intended to take the next morning, I collected some leaves, made up a bed, and laid myself down and slept, though my feet being full of thorns, began to be extremely painful, and I had nothing still to eat for myself or child.
The next morning, (Friday, 25th of May,) about the breaking of the day, I was aroused from my slumbers, by the flock of birds before men- tioned, which still continued with me, and having them to guide me through the wilderness. As soon as it was sufficiently light for me to find my way, I started for the fourth day's trial, of hunger and fatigue.
There was nothing very material occurred on this day while I was travelling, and I made the best of my way, according to my knowledge, towards the Allegheny river. In the evening, about the going down of the sun, a moderate rain came on, and I began to prepare for my bed, by collecting some leaves together, as I had done the night before ; but could not collect a sufficient quantity, without setting my little boy on the ground ; but as soon as I put him out of my arms, he began to cry. Fearful of the consequences of his noise in this situation, I took him in my arms, and put him to the breast immediately, and he became quiet. I then stood and listened, and distinctly heard the footsteps of a man [378]
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BUTLER COUNTY.
coming after me, in the same direction I had come! 'The ground over which I had been travelling was good, and the mould was light ; I had therefore left my foot-marks, and thus exposed myself to a second cap- tivity ! Alarmed at my perilous situation, I looked around for a place of safety, and providentially discovered a large tree which had fallen, into the tops of which I crept, with my child in my arms, and there I hid myself securely under the limbs. The darkness of the night greatly assisted me, and prevented me from detection.
The footsteps I heard were those of a savage. He heard the cry of the child, and came to the very spot where the child cried, and there he halted, put down his gun, and was at this time so near, that I heard the wiping stick strike against his gun distinctly.
My getting in under the tree, and sheltering myself from the rain, and pressing my boy to my bosom, got him warm, and most providen- tially he fell asleep, and lay very still during the time of my danger at that time. All was still and quiet, the savage was listening, if by pos- sibility he might again hear the cry he had heard before. My own heart was the only thing I feared, and that beat so loud, that I was ap- prehensive it would betray me. It is almost impossible to conceive, or to believe, the wonderful effect my situation produced upon my whole system.
After the savage had stood and listened with nearly the stillness of death, for two hours, the sound of a bell, and a cry like that of a night- owl, signals which were given to him from his savage companions, induced him to answer, and after he had given a most horrid yell, which was calculated to harrow up my soul, he started and went off to join theni.
After the retreat of the savage to his companions, I concluded it un- safe to remain in my concealed situation till morning, lest they should conclude upon a second search, and being favored with the light of day, find me, and either tomahawk or scalp me, or otherwise bear me back to my captivity again, which was worse than death !
But by this time nature was nearly exhausted; and I found some dif- ficulty in moving from my situation that night; yet, compelled by ne- cessity, and a love of self-preservation, I threw my coat about my child, and placed the end between my teeth, and with one arm and my teeth, I carried the child, and with the other arm groped my way between the trees, and travelled on as I supposed a mile or two, and there sat down at the root of a tree till morning. The night was cold and wet, and thus terminated the fourth day and night's difficulties, trials, hunger, and danger !
The fifth day, Saturday, 26th of May, wet and exhausted, hungry and wretched, I started from my resting place in the morning, as soon as I could see my way, and on that morning struck the head waters of Pine creek, which falls into the Allegheny about four miles above Pitts- burgh; though I knew not then what waters they were, but crossed them, and on the opposite bank I found a path, and discovered in it two mockasin tracks, fresh indented, and the men who had made them were before me, and travelling on the same direction that I was travelling .- This alarmed me; but as they were before me, and travelling in the
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APPENDIX-NO. XXXV.
same direction as I was, I concluded I could see them as soon as they could see me, and therefore I pressed on in that path for about three miles, when I came to the forks where another branch empties into the creek, where was a hunter's camp, where the two men, whose tracks I had before discovered and followed, had been, and kindled a fire and breakfasted, and had left the fire burning.
I here became more alarmed, and came to a determination to leave the path. I then ascended a hill, and crossed a ridge towards Squaw run, and came upon a trail or path. Here I stopped and meditated what to do ; and while I was thus musing, I saw three deers coming towards me in full speed ; they turned to look at their pursuers ; I looked too with all attention, and saw the flash of a gun, and then heard the report as soon as the gun was fired. I saw some dogs start after them, and began to look about for a shelter, and immediately made for a large log, and hid myself behind it ; but most providentially, I did not go clear to the log ; had I done so, I might have lost my life by the bites of rattle- snakes ; for >s I put my hand to the ground, to raise myself that I might see what was become of the hunters, and who they were, I saw a large heap of rattle-snakes, and the top one was very large, and coiled up very near my face, and quite ready to bite me .. 'This compelled me to leave this situation, let the consequences be what they might.
In consequence of this occurrence. I again left my course, bearing to the left, and came upon the head waters of Squaw run, and kept down the run the remainder of that day.
During the day it rained, and I was in a very deplorable situation ; so cold and shivering were my limbs, that frequently in opposition to all my struggles, I gave an involuntary groan. I suffered intensely this day, from hunger, though my jaws were so far recovered from the in- jury they sustained from the blows of the Indians, that wherever I could, · I procured grape vines, and chewed them for a little sustenance. In the evening I came within one mile of the Allegheny river, though I was ignorant of it at the time: and there, at the root of a tree, through a most tremendous night's rain, I took up my fifth night's lodgings; and in order to shelter my infant as much as possible, I placed him in my lap, and placed my head against the tree, and thus let the rain fall upon me.
On the sixth (that was Sabbath) morning from my captivity, I found myself unable for a very considerable time, to raise myself from the ground ; and when I had once more, by hard struggling, got myself upon my feet, and started upon the sixth day's encounter, nature was so nearly exhausted, and my spirits were so completely depressed, that my progress was amazingly slow and discouraging.
In this almost helpless condition, I had not gone far, before I came to a path where there had been cattle travelling; I took the path under the impression that it would lead me to the abode of some white people, and by travelling it about one mile, I came to an uninhabited cabin ! and though I was in a river bottom, yet I knew not where I was, nor yet on what river bank I had come. Here I was seized with feelings of des- pair, and under those feelings I went to the threshold of the uninhabited cabin, and concluded that I would enter and lie down and die ; as death
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BUTLER COUNTY.
would have been to me an angel of mercy in such a situation, and would have removed me from all my misery !
Such were my feelings at this distressing moment, and had it not been for the recollection of those sufferings which my infant would endure, who would suvive me for some time after I was dead, I should have car- ried my determination into execution. Here, too, I heard the sound of a cow bell, which imparted a gleam of hope to my desponding mind ! I followed the sound of the bell till I came opposite to the fort at the six mile Island.
When I came there, I saw three men on the opposite bank of the river. My feelings at the sight of these were better felt than described. I called to the men, but they seemed unwilling to risk the danger of coming after me, and requested to know who I was. I replied, that I was one who had been taken prisoner by the Indians on the Allegheny river on last Tuesday morning, and had made my escape from them .- They requested me to walk up the bank of the river for a while, that they might see if the Indians were making a decoy of me, or not; but I replied to them that my feet were so sore that I could not walk.
Then one of them, JAMES CLOSIER, got into a canoe to fetch me over, and the other two stood on the bank, with their rifles cocked, ready to fire on the Indians, provided they were using me as a decoy ; when Mr. Closier came near to the shore, and saw my haggard and dejected situa- tion, he exclaimed, " who in the name of God are you ?" 'This man was one of my nearest neighbors, before I was taken ; yet in six days I was so much altered that he did not know me, either by my voice or my countenance.
When I landed on the inhabited side of the river, the people from the fort came running out to the boat to see me ; they took the child from me, and now I felt safe from all danger, I found myself unable to move, or to assist myself in any degree. Whereupon the people took me, and carried me out of the boat to the house of Mr. Cortus.
Here, when I felt I was secure from the ravages and cruelties of the barbarians, for the first time since my captivity, my feelings returned with all their poignancy ! When I was dragged from my bed and from my home, a prisoner with the savages ; when the inhuman butchers dashed the brains of one of my dear children out on the door-sill, and afterwards scalped him before my eyes; when they took and toma- hawked, scalped, and stabbed another of them before me, on the island ; and when with still more barbarous feelings, they afterwards made a hoop, and stretched his scalp on it; nor yet when I endured hunger, cold, and nearly nakedness, and at the same time my infant sucking my very blood to support it, I never wept !!! No! it was too, too much for nature ! A tear then would have been too great a luxury ! And it is more than probable, that tears at these seasons of distress, would have been fatal in their consequences ; for savages despise a tear ! But now that my danger was removed, and I was delivered from the pangs of the barbarians, the tears flowed freely, and imparted a happiness, beyond what I ever experienced before, or ever expect to experience in this world !
When I was taken into the house, having been so long from fire, and
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having endured so much from hunger, for a long period, the heat of the fire, and the smell of the victuals, which the kindness of the people im- mediately induced them to provide for me, caused me to faint. Some of the people attempted to restore me, and some of them put some clothes upon me. But the kindness of these friends would, in all probability, have killed me, had it not been for the providential arrival, from down the river, of Major M'Culley, who then commanded the line along the river. When he came in and saw my situation, and the provisions they were making for me, he became greatly alarmed, and immediately or- dered me out of the house, from the heat and smell; prohibited my taking any thing but the whey of buttermilk, and that in very small quantities, which he administered with his own hands. Through this judicious management of my almost lost situation, I was mercifully restored again to my senses, and very gradually to my health and strength.
Two of the females, Sarah Carter and Mary Ann Crozier, then began to take out the thorns from my feet and legs; and Mr. Felix Negely, who now lives at the mouth of Bull creek, twenty miles above Pitts- burgh, stood by and counted the thorns, as the women took them out ; and there were one hundred and fifty drawn out, though they were not all extracted at that time, for the next evening, at Pittsburgh, there were many more taken out. The flesh was mangled dreadfully, and the skin and flesh were hanging in pieces, on my feet and legs. The wounds were not healed for a considerable time. Some of the thorns went through my feet, and came out on the top. For two weeks I was una- ble to put my feet to the ground to walk.
Besides which, the rain to which I was exposed by night, and the heat of the sun, to which my almost naked body was exposed by day, together with my carrying my child so long in my arms, without any relief, and any shelter from the heat of the day or the storms of the night, caused nearly all the skin of my body to come off, so that my boly was raw nearly all over.
The two men's tracks which I had followed down the run, referred to before, and which made me so much afraid, were two spies, James Anderson and John Thompson, who arrived at the station very soon after me.
'The news of my arrival at the station spread with great rapidity .- The two spies took the intelligence that evening, as far as Coe's station, and the next morning to Reed's station, to my husband. It also reached Pittsburgh that same evening. And the next morning, a young man who was employed by magistrates of Pittsburgh, came for me to go im. mediately to town, to give in my deposition, that it might be published to the American people. Being unable to walk, or ride on horseback, some of the men took me and carried nie into a canoe on the river, and took me down in this manner; and when I arrived in Pittsburgh, I was taken from the canoe, in the arms of the men, to the office of John Wil- kins, Esq., the father of the Hon. William Wilkins, Judge of the United States' Court. The deposition which I then gave in, was published throughout the Union, in the different newspapers of the day, and has since been preserved, and may be read in Loudon's Narrative of outrages by the Indians, vol. 1. p. 85.
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CLARION COUNTY.
As the intelligence spread, the town of Pittsburgh, and the country for twenty miles round, was all in a state of commotion. About sunset the same evening, my husband came to see me, in Pittsburgh, and I was taken back to Coe's station on Tuesday morning. In the evening I gave the account of the murder of my boy on the island. The next morn- ing, (Wednesday,) there was a scout went out, and found it by my direction, and. buried it, after being murdered nine days.
[NO. XXXVI. ]
CLARION COUNTY.
Clarion county was established by an act passed March 11th, 1839, which defines the boundaries as follows :- " That all those parts of Armstrong and Venango counties, lying and being within the following boundaries to wit: beginning at the junction of Red bank creek with the Allegheny river, thence up said creek to the line dividing Toby and Saratoga townships, in Venango county, thence along said line to the corner of Farmington township, in Venango county, thence a straight line to the mouth of Shull's run, on the Allegheny river, thence down said river to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby declared to be erected into a county, henceforth to be called Clarion."
By the same act James Thompson, John Gilmore and Samuel L. Carpenter, were appointed commissioners, to fix upon a proper and convenient site for a seat of justice. Mr. Thompson resigned, and by the act of June 25th, John P. Davis, of Crawford county, was ap- pointed to supply the vacancy .*
Clarion is bounded on the north by Venango county, on the east by Jefferson, on the south by Armstrong. and by the Allegheny river on the west, separating it from Armstrong, Butler and Venango. By the re- turn of the census of 1840, its population, and general statistics, are included in that of Armstrong and Venango counties. The number of inhabitants within the new county exceed 15,000. Average length 25 miles, breadth 24, area 595 square miles.
The surface of this county is considerably diversified, generally rolling or hilly. The soil in some parts is of a good quality and pro- ductive. Agriculture is advancing with the other improvements of the county. In its mineral resources, which have been only partially de- veloped, it is not surpassed by any in Western Pennsylvania. It abounds in linestone, bituminous coal, iron ore, &c. A number of blast furnaces and forges are in successful operation.
* Laws of Pennsylvania of 1838-9, pp. 50, 465.
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APPENDIX-NO. XXXVI.
The following table exhibits at one view the names of the furnaces, in operation, and the amount annually produced.
Lucinda Furnace, owned by J. Reynolds & Co. produces 12,000 tons.
Shippenville-Shippen & Black, 12,000
Beaver-Long, Blackston & Co. 12,000
Madison-Mathiot, Miller & Co.
1,000
Jefferson-A. Plummer & Co.
800
Clarion-C. Myers,
1,200
Clinton-Claps & Semore,
1,000
Helen-Barber & Packer,
1,000
Deer Creek - Kerr & Hasson,
1,100
Buchanan-Plummer, Creasy & Co.
2,000
Mary Ann,-J. Black & Co.
1,000
Polk-C. Meyer,
1,000
Sligo-Lyon, Shorb & Co.
1,500
Washington-H. Blackstone & Co.
1,000
66
Tippecanoe-Black & Maxwell,
1,000
Cochego-John & Samuel Wilson,
1,000
Limestone-Jacob B. Lyon & Co. -
1,000
66
Wildcat-Flick & Lawson,
1,000
66
Collinsburg-Alexander & Co.
1,000
Monroe-Cochran & Fulton,
1,000
Hemlock-Fitzhugh & M'Guire,
2,000
Perry-Welsh & Co.
1,000
66
Pike-Lansom, Duff & Orr,
1,700
These furnaces produce annually between fifty and fifty-five thousand tons of iron, which is chiefly sent down the Clarion and Allegheny rivers to Pittsburg.
'The amount of iron annually produced in this county is equal to all the iron manufactured in the different forges in Pennsylvania, ninety-five years ago. At the close of this article we have added a paper, exhibiting the amount of iron made at the several forges in Pennsylvania, at the time alluded to-to which the reader is referred.
Clarion river, formerly called Toby's creek, is the principal stream, flowing in a western direction, nearly through the middle of the county, and within a mile of the county seat, and falls into the Allegheny river. It is navigable, at high water for boats, arks, rafts. A large amount of lumber, iron and other produce, is floated down it from Clarion and Jefferson counties. The Redbank creek, the south branch of which rises in Clearfield county, and the north branch in Jefferson county, forms the southern boundary, separating this county from Armstrong, falling into the Allegheny river. Lumber and produce are also floated down this stream. Besides these streams there are several smaller ones, viz : Kern's creek, Beaver creek, Elk creek, Deer Paint creek, Licking creek, Pine creek, &c.
The townships in 1840, and their population, were Beaver, with a population of 1,611; Clarion, 2,239; Elk, 585; Fermington, 799; [ 384 ]
6 6
Licking Creek-Ohler, Ligworth & Co. -
1,200
66
Elk-Wm. B. Fitzhugh,
CLARION COUNTY.
Madison, 1,305 ; Monroe, 1,151 ; Paint, 491 ; Perry, 1,122 ; Red Bank, 3,070; Richland, 1,385; Toby, 1,829 ; Limestone, Porter and Wash- ington townships were erected since 1840.
Education receives considerable attention. Nearly all the districts had, a few years ago, adopted the general system of common schools. Besides ninety common schools, there is an academy of advanced stand- ing in the county town.
The prevailing religious denominations are Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, and Catholics, all of whom have houses for public worship. The inhabitants are generally characterized for indus- try, sobriety and morality. Few idlers are to be found in this county. They are literally "worked out." The people do not stand lounging.
CLARION, the county seat, situated on the east side of the Clarion river, on the Bellefonte and Meadville turnpike road, was laid out by the commissioners in 1840. The land had been owned by General Levi G. Clover, James P. Hoover, Peter Clover, Jr.,-heirs of Philip Clover of Strattanville,-and the Hon. Christian Myers. "These persons made a donation of the town site to the county, on condition of receiving half the proceeds from the sales of lots. Space for the county buildings and a public square, were reserved from sale."
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