USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 11
USA > Pennsylvania > Fulton County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 11
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 11
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All these proclamations, with the show of military force, had the effect to terrify a few of
the settlers into removal ; but by far the greater part remained and were not disturbed by the troops, which after a short stay at Redstone creek returned to Fort Pitt. In the summer of 1767, however, soldiers were again sent out to expel non-complying settlers, many of whom were then actually driven away ; but they made all haste to return as soon as the force was with- drawn, and not a few of those who had thus been expelled came back accompanied by new settlers from east of the mountains.
Finally all efforts to expel those who had already located in the forbidden territory failed The extension of Mason and Dixon's line to the second crossing of Dunkard's creek, in 1767. showed that nearly all the settlements made were unquestionably in the jurisdiction of Penn- sylvania, and in January, 1768, Gov. Penn called the attention of the assembly to this then recently discovered fact, narrated the ineffect- ual efforts made to that time to remove the set- tlers, mentioned the anger of the savagex, which might not improbably result in a bloody war, and advised the enactment of a law severe enough to effect the desired result, and thus avert the horrors of a savage outbreak.
Accordingly on February 3, 1768, an act en- titled "An act to remove the persons now set- tled, etc., and to prevent others from settling on any lands in this province not purchased of the Indians, 1768," was passed, of which the follow- ing is a transcript :
[L. 8.] JOHN. PENN.
Whereas, many disorderly People, in Violation of His Majesty's Proclamation. have presumed to settle upon Lands not yet purchased from the Indians, to their Damage and great dissatisfaction, which may be attended with dangerous and fatal Consequences to the Peace and Safety of this Province. Be it there- fore enacted by the Honourable John Penn, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, under the Honourable Thomas Penn & Richard Penn, true and absolute Proprie- taries of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex upon Delaware, by and with the advice and Consent of the Representa- tives of the Freemen of the said Province in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same.
That if any person or persons settled upon any Lands within the Boundaries of this Province not purchased of the Indians by the Proprietaries there- of, shall neglect or Refuse to remove themselves & Families off and from the same Lands within the Space of Thirty days, after he or they shall be re- quired so to do, either by such persons as the Gover- nor of this Province shall appoint for that purpose, or by his Proclamations to be set up in the most Public
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places of the Settlements on such unpurchased Lands, or if any person or persons being so removed shall afterwards return to his or their Settlement, or the Settlement of any other person with his or their Fam- ily, or without any Family, to remain and Settle on such Lands, or if any person shall after the said Notice, to be given as aforesaid, reside and settle on such Lands, every such person and persons so neglect- ing or refusing to remove with his or their Family, or returning to settle as aforesaid, or that shall settle on any such Lands after the Requisition or Notice aforesaid, being thereof legally convicted by their own Confession, or the Verdict of a Jury, shall suffer Death without the Benefit of Clergy.
Provided always, nevertheless. That nothing here- in contained shall be deemed or construed to extend to any person or persons who now are or hereafter may be settled on the main Roads or Communications leading through this Province to Fort Pitt, under the approbation and permission of the Commander-in- Chief of His Majesty's Forces in North America, or of the Chief Officer commanding in the Western Dis- trict to the Ohio for the Time being for the more con- venient accommodation of the Soldiery and others, or to such person or persons as are or shall be settled in the Neighborhood of Fort Pitt, under the approba- tion and permission aforesaid, or to a Settlement made by George Croghan, Esq'., Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs under Sir William Johnson on the Ohio, above the said Fort, any thing herein contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
In the endeavor to enforce this act the Gov- ernor, soon after its passage, appointed the Rev. Capt. John Steel, of the Presbyterian Church at Carlisle, John Allison, Christopher Lemes, and Capt. James Potter, of Cumberland county, to visit the region west of the Alleghenies, to pro- mulgate and explain the law, and induce the settlers to comply with its requirements. The commissioners, with the Rev. Capt. Steel at their head, left Carlisle on the 2d of March, and proceeded to Fort Cumberland, from which place they traveled over the route pursued by Braddock's army. What they did at the vari- ous settlements was related in their report to the Governor, as follows:
FORT CUMBERLAND, April 2d, 1768. May it Please Your Honour :
Having in our Return reached Fort Cumberland, and being here to part, We concluded it necessary to prepare an Extract from our Journal of what appeared to us most important which We Ordered to be trans- mitted to Your Honour by Mr. Steel.
We arrived at the Settlement on Red Stone on the twenty-third Day of March. The People having heard of our coming, had appointed a Meeting among themselves on the twenty-fourth, to consult what Measures they should take. We took the ad-
vantage of this Meeting, Read the Act of Assembly, and Proclamation, explaining the Law, and giving the Reasons of it as well as we could, and used our Endeavors to pursuade them to comply, alledging to them that it was the most probable Method to en- title them to favour with the Honourable Proprietaries when the Land was purchased. After Lamenting their distressed Condition, they told us the People were not fully collected, but as they expected all would attend on Sabbath following, and then they would give us an Answer. They, however, affirmed that the Indians were very peaceable, and seemed sorry that they were to be removed, And said they apprehended the English intended to make War upon the Indians, as they were moving off their People from their Neighborhood.
We laboured to pursuade them that they were im- posed on by a few straggling Indians, that Sir William Johnson, who had informed our Govern- ment, must be better acquainted with the mind of the Six Nations, and that they were displeased with the White People settling on their unpurchased Lands. On Sabbath, the twenty-seventh day of March, a considerable Number attended (their Names are Subjoined), and most of them told us they were resolved to move off, and would Petition Your Honour for a Preference in obtaining their Improve- ments where a Purchase was made. While We were conversing we were informed that a number of Indians were come to Indian Peters; We judging it might be subservient to our main design, that the Indians should be present, while We were advising the People to obey the Law, sent for them; They came; and after Sermon delivered a Speech, with a String of Wampum to be transmitted to Your Honour. Their Speech was, "Ye are come, sent by your Great Men, to tell these People to go away from the Land, which Ye say is ours, And We are sent by our Great Men, and are glad We have met here this day. We tell you the White People must Stop, and We stop them 'till the Treaty, and when George Croghan, and our great Men will talk together, we will tell them what to do." The names of the Indians are subjoined. The Indians were from the Mingo- Town, about Eighty Miles from Red Stone. After this the People were more confirmed that there was no danger of War. They drop't the design of Petitioning, and said they would wait the issue of the Treaty; Some, however, declared they would move off. We had sent a Messenger to Cheat River, and to Stewart's Crossings, of Yougheogenny, with Several Proclamations, requesting them to meet us at Gueste's place [meaning Gist's place, now Mt. Braddock ], as most Central for both Settlements. On the thirtieth of March about thirty or forty Men met us there; We proceeded as at Red Stone, reading the Act of Assembly, and a Proclamation, and en- deavored to convince them of the Necessity and Reasonableness of quitting the unpurchased Land, but to no purpose ; They had heard what the Indians had said at Red Stone, and reasoned in the same manner, declaring they had no Apprehensions of a
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THE WHITE MEN AS SETTLERS.
War; that they would attend the Treaty, and take their Measures accordingly. Many severe things were said of Mr. Croghan, and one Lawrence Harrison treated the Law, and our Government, with too much disrespect. On the thirty-first of March We came to the great Crossings of Yougheogenny, and being informed by one Speer, that eight or ten Fami- lies lived in a Place called Turkey-Foot, We sent some Proclamations thither by said Speer, as We did to a few Families nigh the Crossings of little Yough, Judging it unnecessary to go amongst them. It is our Opinion that some will move off in Obedience to the Law, that the greatest Part will wait the Treaty, and if they find that the Indians are indeed dissatisfied, We think the whole will be persuaded to Remove. The Indians coming to Red Stone, and delivering their Speech, greatly obstructed our design.
Weare Your Honour's most obedient, most humble Servants
JOHN STEEL, JOHN ALLISON, CHRISTOPHER LEMES, JAMES POTTER.
To the Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant- Governor, and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, &c., in Philadelphia.
The Indians' Names who came to Red Stone, viz': Captain Haven, Captain Strikebelt, Captain Hornets, Captain Pouch, Captain Mygog Wigo, Captain Gilly, Captain Nogowach, Captain Slew-bells.
The Names of the Inhabitants near Red Stone : John Wiseman, Henry Prisser, William Linn, Will- iam Colvin, John Vervalson, Abraham Tygard, Thomas Brown, Richard Rodgers, John Delong, Peter Young, George Martin, Thomas Down, Andrew Gudg- eon, Philip Sute, James Crawford, John Peters, Henry Swats, Joseph McClean, Jesse Martin, Adam Hatton, John Verval," Jr., James Waller, Thomas Douter, Captain Coburn, Michael Hooter, Andrew Linn, Gabriel Conn. John Martin, Hans Cack, Daniel Mc- Cay, Josias Crawford, one Provence.
Names of some who met us at Guesses [Gist's] place : one Blonnfield, James Lyne, Ezekiel Johnson, Thomas Guesse [Gist], Charles Lindsey, James Wal- lace, Richard Harrison, Philip Sute, Jed Johnson, Henry Burkon, Lawrence Harrison, Ralph Hicken- bottom.
Names of the People at Turkey-Foot: Henry Abrahams, Ezekiel Dewitt, James Spencer, Benja- min Jennings, John Cooper, Ezekiel Hickman, John Enslow, Henry Enslow, Benjamin Pursley.
In a letter to the governor, dated Carlisle, April 11, 1768, Rev. Mr. Steel further said :
SIR: there is one thing which, in preparing the extract of our Journal, happened to be overlooked, viz *: The People at Red Stone alledged that the removing of them from the unpurchased Lands, was a Contrivance of the Gentlemen and Merchants of Philadelphia, that they might take Rights for their
improvements when a Purchase was made. In con- firmation of this, they said that a Gentleman of the Name of Harris and another called Wallace, with one Friggs, a Pilot, spent & considerable time last August, in viewing the Lands and Creeks thereabouts. We promised to acquaint your Honour with this. I am of Opinion, from the appearance the People made, and the best intelligence We could obtain, that there are but about one hundred and fifty families in the different Settlements of Red Stone, Yougheogeny and Cheat River.
This estimate was intended to include the people at Turkey-Foot, as well as all others west of the mountains other than those of Ligo- nier and Fort Pitt.
However, the mission of the Rev. Capt. Steel and his associates ended in failure. The few people who had promised to remove dis- regarded that promise and remained, for all the trespassing settlers were strong in confidence that results favorable to their continued occu- pation would come from the treaty council, which was appointed to be held at Fort Pitt about a month later. At that council there were present nearly two thousand Indians, in- cluding, besides chiefs and head men of the dominant Six Nations, representatives of the Delaware, Shawnees, Muncie and Mohican tribes. On the part of the white men, George Croghan, deputy agent for Indian affairs ; John Allen and Joseph Shippen, Jr., Esqs., commis- sioners for the province of Pennsylvania ; Alex- ander McKee, commissary of Indian affairs ; Col. John Reed, commandant of Fort Pitt, and several other military officers were present. Henry Montour (the same who signed Pender- grass' deed, mentioned in the first part of . this chapter) acted as chief interpreter, and among the anxious and interested spectators were many of .the Youghiogheny and Monongahela . set- tlers.
The council proceeded in the usual manner with high-sounding speeches, hollow assurances of friendship, the presentation of sundry belts and strings of wampum, and the distribution among the Indians of presents to the amount of £1,500; but as the deliberations progressed, it became more and more apparent that there existed among the savages no deep-seated feel- ing of displeasure against the bold settlers; that nearly all the indignation at the encroach- ments of the whites was felt and expressed by the men acting for the authorities of the province ; that these were extremely angry
. Probably intended for Vervalson.
5
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HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.
with the Indians, because in a few instances they had sold small tracts to white men, and now showed a decided disinclination to demand the immediate removal of the settlers. Tohon- issahgarawa was almost the only chief or In- dian of the Six Nations to complain. From his speech we extract the following :
BROTHER: It is not without great Grief that we see our Country settled by you without our Knowl- edge or Consent; and it is a long Time since we first complained to you of this Grievance, which we find has not as yet been redressed, but Settlements are still extending further into our Country. Some of them are made directly on our War Path, leading to our Enemies' Country, and we do not like it.
BROTHER: You have Laws amongst you to govern your People by, and it will be the Strongest Proof of the Sincerity of your Friendship to let us see that you remove the People from our Lands; as we look upon it, it will be Time enough for you to settle them when you have purchased them and the Country be- comes yours.
The commissioners then addressed the In- dians, telling them that when Steel and his associates had visited the settlers the latter had promised to remove. "But, brethren," con- tinued they, "we are sorry to tell you that as soon as the men sent by the governor had pre- vailed on the settlers to consent to a compliance with the law, there came among them eight Indians who live at the Mingo Town down this river, and desired the people not to leave their settlements, but to sit quiet on them till the present treaty at this place should be concluded. The people, on receiving this advice and en- couragement, suddenly changed their minds, and determined not to quit their places till they should hear further from the Indians.
"Now, brethren, we cannot help expressing to you our great concern at this behavior of those Indians, as it has absolutely frustrated the steps the governor was taking to do you justice, by the immediate removal of those people from your lands. And we must tell you, brethren, that the conduct of those Indians ap- pears to us very astonishing, and we are much at a loss to account for the reason of it at this time, when the Six Nations are complaining of encroachments being made on their lands. * * * But, brethren, all that we have now to desire of you is that you will immediately send off some of your prudent and wise men with a message to the people settled at Redstone, Youghoghainy and Monongahela, to contradict
the advice of the eight Indians from the Mingo Town, and to acquaint them that you very much disapprove of their continuing any longer on their settlements, and that you expect they will quit them without delay.
" If you agree to this, we will send an hon- est and discreet white man to accompany your messengers; and, brethren, if after receiving such notice from you they shall refuse to re- move by the time limited them, you may depend upon it the government will not fail to put the law into immediate execution against them."
At last a reluctant consent to the proposition of the commissioners was gained from the Six Nations' chiefs. They accordingly appointed the White Mingo and the three deputies sent from the Six Nations' country, to carry a mes- sage to the settlers to that effect, and the com- missioners agreed to send Mr. John Fraser* and Capt. William Thompson* with them, with written instructions in behalf of the gov- ernment of Pennsylvania.
Fraser and Thompson were supplied with a letter of instructions, the Indian messengers with some black wampum, and all preparations were completed for the journey which was to com- mence on horseback on the following morning, May 10; but with the dawn of that day the red men failed to appear. Having been sent. for several times, the Indian messengers at last made their appearance at the fort, but said that after due consideration of the business on which it was proposed to send them, they had decided that they could by no means undertake it, and immediately returned to the commissioners the wampum which had been given them. Upon being interrogated as to their reasons for now declining to perform what they had once con- sented to do, they answered that three of them were sent by the Six Nations' council to attend the treaty at the fort, and having received no directions from the council to proceed farther, they chose to return home in order to make report of what they had seen and heard. They further added that the driving of white people away from their settlements was a mat- ter which no Indians could, with any satisfaction, be concerned in, and they thought it most proper for the English themselves to compel their own people to remove from the Indian lands.
* Although Fraser and Thompson were then present at Fort Pitt, their homes were at Bedford. Thompson, it will be remem- bered, was the one who assisted the Black Boys to capture Fort Bedford in 1769.
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THE WHITE MEN AS SETTLERS.
After this refusal of the Indians who had been appointed to carry the message from the Six Nations, the commissioners in vain attempted to persuade or procure others to execute the busi- ness, though they used great endeavors for that purpose, and they thought it both useless and imprudent to continue to press on the Indians a matter which they found they were generally averse to, and therefore they concluded to set out on their return to Philadelphia without delay. But in a short time afterward Kaya- shuta * came with Arroas (a principal warrior of the Six Nations) to the commissioners, to whom the former addressed himself in effect as follows :
BRETHREN : I am very sorry to find that you have been disappointed in your expectations of the Indian messengers going to Redstone according to your desire and our agreement; and I am much afraid that you are now going away from us with a discontented mind on this account. Believe me, brethren, this thought fills my heart with the deepest grief, and I could not suffer you to leave us without speaking to you on this subject and endeavoring to make your minds easy. We were all of us much disposed to comply with your request, and expected it could have been done with- out difficulty, but now I find not only the Indians appointed by us but all our other young men are very unwilling to carry a message from us to the white people ordering them to remove from our lands. They say they would not choose to incur the ill will of those people, for if they should be now removed they will hereafter return to their settlements when the English have purchased the country from us. And we shall be very unhappy if, by our conduct toward them at this time, we shall give them reason to dislike us and treat us in an unkind manner when they again become our neighbors. We therefore hope, brethren, you will not be displeased at us for not per- forming our Agreement with you, for you may be assured that we have good hearts toward all our brethren the English.
The commissioners returned Kayashuta many thanks for his friendly behavior on this occa- sion, and assured him that they'greatly approved of the conduct of the Indians during the treaty, and were now returning home with very easy and contented minds. They further acquainted him that their reason for urging the chiefs to send a message to the settlers proceeded entirely from the great anxiety they had for contributing everything in their power that might expedite
the measures taken by the government to do them justice, and to redress every injury they complained of ; yet as they found the compli- ance with their request was disagreeable to the Indians, they could not press the matter on them any farther, though. it appeared to be a step very necessary to be taken at this time. They then took leave of the Indians in the most friendly manner, and started on their return to Philadelphia.
Hence, the unexpected termination of the council held at Fort Pitt in May, 1768, ended all efforts on the part of the proprietary govern- ment of Pennsylvania to expel the pioneer settlers from the valleys of the Youghiogheny, the Monongahela and the Redstone, and the adventurous trespassers at Turkey-Foot, with others west of the mountains, remained masters of the situation. Indeed, the lands occupied by them were soon after purchased from the Indians by the Penns, and no good reasons could be assigned, thereafter, for driving them away.
Respecting this purchase it appears that the aboriginal title to the lands composing that part of Somerset county lying west of the Allegheny mountains was acquired by the proprietaries of the province by the terms of a treaty held with the Indians at Fort Stanwix (near Rome, New York) in the fall of 1768. In Octo- ber of that year, by invitation of Sir William Johnson, superintendent of Indian affairs, there were assembled at the fort a great number of chiefs of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cay- uga, Seneca and Tuscarora tribes (composing the Six Nations), with other chiefs of the Dela- ware and Shawnee tribes, and on the 24th of the same month these were convened in coun- cil with representatives of the royal author- ity and of the governments of Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. The principal white persons present were " The Honorable Sir Will- iam Johnson, baronet, his Majesty's superinten- dent of Indian affairs; his Excellency William Franklin, Esq., governor of New Jersey; Thomas Walker, Esq., commissioner for the colony of Virginia ; Hon. Frederick Smith, chief justice of New Jersey; Richard Peters and James Tilghman, Esqs., of the council of Pennsylvania ; George Croghan and Daniel Claus, Esqs., deputy agents of Indian affairs; Guy Johnson, Esq., deputy agent and acting as secretary, with several gentlemen from the dif-
. Kayashuta, or Guyasutha, was a chief who met Washington on his first appearance in western Pennsylvania in 1753. He was the friend of the English as against the French, but in the revolu- tionary war took sides against the Americans, and was the leader of the savage party which burned Hannastown, Westmoreland county, in 1782.
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HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.
ferent colonies ; John Butler, Esq., Mr. Andrew Montour and Philip Phillips, interpreters for the Crown."
Sir William Johnson opened the council by stating that Lieut .- Gov. Penn, of Pennsylvania, had been there and waited a considerable time, but was forced by press of business to return to Philadelphia, leaving Messrs. Peters and Tilgh- man as his commissioners. He also explained to the chiefs the business on which he had called them together, and then, after some further pre- liminary talk, the council adjourned for the day. Afterward its sessions were continued from time to time, until the 5th of November, when a treaty, known in history as the " treaty of Fort Stanwix," was concluded, by which the chiefs of the Six Nations ceded to Thomas and Richard Penn, for the sum of £10,000, an im- mense body of land in Pennsylvania, which may, in a general way, be described as comprehend- ing all of the present territory of the counties of Fayette, Greene, Washington, Westmoreland, Cambria, Montour, Sullivan, Wyoming, Wayne and Susquehanna, nearly all of Somerset, Indi- ana, Union, Lycoming, Columbia, Northumber- land, Luzerne, Lackawanna and Bradford, and parts of Beaver, Allegheny, Armstrong, Clear- field, Centre, Clinton, Snyder and Pike.
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