History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania, Part 7

Author: Waterman, Watkins & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 967

USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Fulton County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 7

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Says Gordon in his history of Pennsylvania : "In the fall of 1755 the country west of the Susquehanna had three thousand men in it fit to bear arms, and in August, 1756, exclusive of the provincial forces, there were not one hundred left." In the region west of the mountains there was not left a single settler or trader other than those who were favorable to the French and their interests. And this state of affairs continued in the division of the prov- inces last referred to for more than three years immediately succeeding Braddock's defeat on the Monongahela.

CHAPTER VI. CONTINUANCE OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS, 1756-1765.

Boldness of the Savages after Braddock's Defeat-The Quaker Assembly Afraid to Alienate Savage Friendship-Benjamin Franklin to the Front-Col. John Armstrong's Expedition to Kittanning-Armstrong ordered to Occupy Raystown- Recommends the Building of a Fort There-Capt. Hamilton Visits Raystown-Gen. Forbes' Expedition-A Fort Built at Raystown, also at Juniata Crossing-Success of Forbes' Cam- paigu-His Death-First Mention of the Term Fort Bedford- Peace With France-Pontiac's War-Capt. Ourry at Fort Bedford-Expeditions of Cols. Armstrong and Boquet-Per- tinent Paragraphs-Peace with the Indians-First Opportu- nity for Permanent Settlers.

A S mentioned in the previous chapter, the fall of 1755 found the Indians in full con- trol of all that part of the province west of the Susquehanna. Their main body was assembled on that stream thirty miles above Harris' Ferry (now Harrisburg), whence they extended them- selves on both sides of the river to a point be- low the Kittatinny Mountains. The settlements of the Great Cove in Cumberland county were destroyed. Many of the inhabitants were slaughtered or made captives, and Tulpehocken, Mahanoy and Gnadenhutten shared the same fate. By the middle of November the savagex had entered the counties of Lancaster, Berks and Northampton, and some of the most ven- turesome even approached within twenty-five miles of the city of Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the General Assembly of the Province-largely composed of Quakers-was indifferent and apathetic to a criminal degree, and despite the most earnest appeals of the suf- fering inhabitants, and the vigorous protests of Gov. Morris, its members contented themselves in discussing the question whether supplies should or should not be voted with which to de- fend the contracted frontiers. To illustrate - when the Governor requested that men and means be supplied to "afford assistance to the back inhabitants," the assembly plead in excuse " that they feared the alienation of the friend- ship of the Indians." The cold indifference of the assembly at such a crisis finally aroused the deepest indignation. Public meetings were held in various parts of the frontier counties, at which it was resolved that they would march to Phila- delphia and compel the authorities "to pass proper laws to defend the country and oppose the enemy." At last a chain of forts and block-

* The Great Cove formed part of Bedford county from 1771 to 1850. It is now embraced in Fulton county.

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CONTINUANCE OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS, 1756-1765.

houses was authorized to be erected along the Kittaninny Hills from the Delaware river to the Maryland line, near the Potomac. They were completed in February, 1756. About eighty-five thousand pounds were expended in their con- struction, and, commanding the principal gaps and passes of the mountains, each was garri- soned with from twenty-five to seventy-five pro- vincials. Benjamin Franklin buckled on his sword, and, with his son William, raised over five hundred men. He proceeded with them to the frontier, and assisted in completing and garri- soning the chain of works mentioned.

In August, 1756, Gov. Morris was superseded by William Denny, but before that time, the former had authorized Col. John Armstrong to organize a force and march from Fort Carlisle via Fort Shirley (now in Huntingdon county) to Frank's Town (now in Blair county), thence along the Kittanning Path, over the Alleghe- nies, and westward to the Indian town of Kit- tanning on the Allegheny, then termed the Ohio river. Kittanning was the stronghold of Capts. Jacobs and Shingas, the most active of the hos- tile Indian chiefs, and from whence they sent forth strong parties of warriors to scourge the frontier. With three hundred officers and men Col. Armstrong marched from McDowell's on the 21st of August. On the 30th he moved from Fort Shirley, and on the 3d of September he joined his vanguard at the Beaver Dams, a point about two miles above the present town of Hollidaysburg. The march was resumed on the morning of the 4th, and by moving rapidly as well as with great caution, he was enabled to surprise his enemies in their town, at daybreak on the morning of the 8th. Led by the chief, Capt. Jacobs, the savages fought stubbornly and refused to surrender. As a result the town was destroyed by fire, Capt. Jacobs and thirty or forty of his followers were killed and the re- mainder of the band fled far to the westward of Fort Du Quesne. Of Armstrong's force seven- teen were killed, thirteen wounded, and nine- teen reported missing. The successful termi- nation of this expedition caused great rejoicing throughout the province. The corporation of Philadelphia addressed a complimentary letter to him and his officers, thanking them for their gallant conduct, and presented him with a piece of plate. A medal was also struck, having for device au officer followed by two soldiers, the officer pointing to a soldier shooting from be-

hind a tree, and an Indian prostrate before him ; in the background Indian houses in flames. Legend: Kittanning destroyed by Col. Arm- strong, September the 8th, 1756. Reverse device: The arms of the corporation. Legend: The gift of the corporation of Philadelphia.

The destruction of Kittanning and the Indian families there was a severe stroke on the sav- ages. The English had not till that time assailed them in their towns, and they fancied that they would not venture to approach them. But now, though urged by an unquenchable thirst for vengeance to retaliate the blow they had received, they dreaded that, in their absence on war parties, their wigwams might be reduced to ashes. Those of them who had lived at Kit- tanning, and had escaped the carnage, refused to settle again on the east of Fort Du Quesne, and in consequence placed that fortress and the French garrison between them and the English. Thus the territory for the settlement of those who acknowledged fealty to the British crown was widened, and again did the march of civili- zation move westward toward the Alleghenies.

Early in April, 1757, Gov. Denny ordered Lieut .- Col. John Armstrong, then in command of a battalion of eight companies of Pennsyl- vania troops, doing duty on the west side of the Susquehanna river, to encamp with a detachment of three hundred men near "Ray's Town." "A well chosen situation," said the Governor in a letter to the proprietaries, "on this side the Allegheny hills, between two Indian roads,* the only known tract of the Indians to invade this province. He had further directions to employ spies, and send out ranging parties ; by these precautions the inroads of the Indians might have been prevented, or their retreat cut off, which would probably have hindered fu- ture incursions. For this service, a few horses, some forage and a small matter of camp equipage are wanting. I cannot prevail on the commissioners to advance the necessary supplies, so that I doubt this expedition will miscarry for want of a trifling expense."

As foreshadowed in the Governor's communi- cation, Col. Armstrong did not move forward to Raystown, the necessary supplies not having been furnished him. He was at Carlisle on the 5th of May, where, on that day, in addressing a let- ter to the Governor, he used the following words :

* Meaning the " Kittanning I'ath " on the north and " Nema- colin's Trail" on the south.

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.

* * * The Coming of the Chirokees and Cataw- bas appears to be a very favorable Providence, which shou'd in my opinion be speedily and properly emproved, as well for the Benefit of this as of others his Majesty's Colonies, and prompts me to propose to your Honour what I have long ago suggested to the late Governor and Gentleman Commissioners, that is the Building a Fort at Ray's Town, without which the King's Business and the Country's Safety can never be effective to the Westward. To this Place, were we there encamped or fortified, might the Southern Indians be brought frequently from Fort Cumberland, provided the Necessaries of Life and of War cou'd there be given them; and from it might proceed Patroling Parties to spy, waylay, intercept, &os., which Dutys shou'd constantly or frequently be follow'd, while others might carry on the Building. 'Tis true this Service will require upwards of 500 Men, as no doubt they will be attack'd if any Power be at Fort Duquesne, because this will be a visible, large, and direct Stride to that Place; but no doubt Colonel Stanwix will bear a party in Duty and Expence.

During the succeeding month (June, 1757) Capt. Hamilton led a scouting party from the fort at Carlisle to Raystown, but encountered no Indians. At the same time Capt. Dagworthy, the commandant at Fort Cumberland, sent out a small party as far as "the Great Crossing of Yoxhiogeni," which also failed to discover any signs of the enemy. Yet, despite the war- like attitude of the English, nothing worthy of notice was done to annoy the French or to check the depredations of nummerous small bands of savages, until a change of the British ministry, and the master mind of Pitt, Earl of Chatham, assumed control of government.

In December Col. John Forbes, of the British army, was commissioned " Brigadier General in America to command his Majesty's forces in the southern provinces." He assumed command early in the summer of 1758, and immediately began organizing an army much more formidable than that placed under Braddock three years before for the capture of Fort Du Quesne. His force (of which the general rendezvous was appointed at Raystown) was composed of three hundred and fifty Royal American troops, twelve hundred Scotch Highlanders,. sixteen hundred Virginians, and two thousand seven hundred Pennsylvania provincials,-a total of five thousand eight hundred and fifty effective men, besides one thousand wagoners. The two Virginia regiments were commanded respect- ively by Col. George Washington and Col. James Burd, but both under the superior com-

mand of Washington as acting brigadier. Under him, in command of one of the Virginia companies, was Capt. William Crawford, after- ward one of the first justices of the peace of Bedford county, and a resident at the point known as Stewart's Crossing, in the present county of Fayette.

The first movement of troops westward began by sending forward a small body of Pennsyl- vanians as pioneers to indicate the route of march, west of Raystown, by blazing trees. Regarding this movement Col. John Armstrong, in a letter addressed to Gov. Denny and dated at Carlisle July 20, 1758, said :

* * * The general has Sent my brother George to Reas' Town, with Orders to take with him a hun- dred Men, in Order to find Out and Mark a Road from Reas' Town as near to Fort Du Quesne as he can possibly go, leaving General Braddock's Road & the Yohiogaine entirely to the left, and afterward to attempt a Scalp or Prisoner. I shall not mention my thoughts of the fate of those people in Case they approach near the Fort, ay the Enemy doubtless will View them every Step froin Reas' Town.

Again, on the 23d of the same month, James Young, commissary of musters and paymaster general, in writing to Richard Peters, Esq., from Carlisle, spoke as follows :

Old Guest* came here Fryday night from Win- chester, and Barney Hughes this day from Ray's Town, who both agree that there are but 50 Indians at Fort Cumberland, and 80 at Raystown, which is all we have, tho' they say more are expected dayly, how that may turn out time can only prove. By Express from Ray's Town, 8 Indians and two of our Sold" had been in sight of Fort Du Quesne, where they scal'p a French Officer and give account they saw them Throwing up works round the Fort, saw Some Warriors Coming down the River, tho' but few Indians about the Fort. Capt"" Clayton and Ward have been out in search of a Road, and bring acct that a much better than Braddock's may be found from Raystown, in which Major Armstrong, with 100 men, was sent out on Fryday last to see if he agreead to the Same; the Virginians are making great interest that our Rout may be by Fort Cumberland, but I hope they will not succeed; 'tis said that a 100 of our Provincials at Raystown are down with the flux, the other troops in proportion, allmost all the Waggons and Pack horses are gone on ; S' John [meaning Sir John Sinclair, or St. Clair, as it was frequently written, the quarter- master general of the army and the same who accompanied Braddock's expedition] setts of tomor- row for Raystown, escorted by a party of the light horse, Cap""" Jackson and Eastburn are just come here

* Meaning. doubtless, that famous pioneer and frontiersman, Christopher Gist.

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CONTINUANCE OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS, 1756-1765.

from Fort Augusta, and marches tomorrow for Rays- town, under whose Escort I shall proceed with the Military Chest, not chusing to wait longer for the Highlanders, their march being very uncertain, and our troops wants mony. I understand, that when the Gen' getts to Raystown, 100 of the men, least able to march, are to be draughted and sent to Fort Lyttle- ton, De to Loudon, 50 are left at Shippensburg, and 50 here; they are in high spirits at Raystown, and much in love with Col' Bucquet, all ready for a march, and only wait for the Gen' to lead them on; the Train of Artilliry left Shippensburg yesterday, here are about 350 Highlanders, with all the field Officers, and a Troop of Light horse.

The condition of affairs at Raystown at a subsequent date in the campaign is quite fully set forth in the following letter :

CAMP AT RAYS' TOWN, 16th Aug. 1758.

De SIR: I have the pleasure to acknowledge the Receipt of Your Letter with the Commissions for Major & Lieu' Colo., for which I.am very much obliged to you. When I wrote to you about them from Carlisle, I beg leave to assure you I did not mean to impute any neglect to you. I have Shewn those Commissions to Colo. Bouquet, which was my Duty to do, that he might know my Rank in the Penn. Reg', with which he was pleased. I think it abso- lutely necessary to take them with me, as many Cir- cumstances may require me to produce them before the Campaign is over.

I find my Duty as Brigade Major keeps me continu- ally employed, I am therefore prevented from writing so frequently & fully to my Friends as I intended.

It is very uncertain what number of Indians we shall have with us; it seems little Dependence can be put on any of them. I believe there have been above 150 Cherookees at this Place since the Army first formed a Camp here, but they have all left us except about 25 of them. Besides these we have Hambus & 3 Delaware Warriours who came 2 days ago from Fort Augusta, & 2 or 3 of the Six Nations, and Colo. Boquet expects Capt. Bullen (a Catawba Capt) with 30 of his Warriours to join us very soon. I un- derstand they are to come from Winchester by the way of Fort Cumberland.

The Army here consists now of about 2500 men, exclusive of about 1400 employed in cutting & clear- ing the Road between this & Loyal Hanning, a gre :. t Part of which I suppose by this Time is finished, so that I am in hopes we shall be able to move forward soon after the General comes up who we hear is at Shippensburg on his way np. Colo. Montgomery, with part of his Battalion, is with him.

Colo. Washington & 400 of his Regiment have not yet joined us, nor has any of Colo. Burd's (of Vir- ginia) except 2 Companies.

We have a good Stockade Fort" built here with

.In the volumes composing the "Colonial Records" and " Pennsylvania Archives" this is the first evidence found of the existence of a fort at Raystown which, without a doubt, was erected by the advance guard of Forbes army during the months of July and August, 1758.

several convenient & large Store Houses. Our Camps are all secured with a good Breastwork & a small Ditch on the outside And everything goes on Well. Colo. Burd desires his Compliments to you.

I am very respectfully Dr. Sir,

Your most obedient humble Servant

JOSEPH SHIPPEN I beg my Love to Mr. Allen's good family. Directed,

To Richard Peters, Esq'., Philadelphia.

Again directing our attention to the move- ments of Gen. Forbes and the forces under his command, it appears that the Virginia troops rendezvoused at Winchester, while the Pennsyl- vanians, under Col. Boquet, assembled at Rays- town. As indicated in Col. Shippen's letter and other communications, Boquet with the Pennsylvania provincials advanced to Raystown during the latter part of July. After the com- pletion of the fort at this point, he was ordered forward with a column of about two thousand men to the Loyalhanna to cut out roads and to con- struct the fortifications afterward known as Fort Ligonier. Having ordered the Virginians un- der Cols. Washington and Burd to join him at Raystown, the commander-in-chief, with a strong detachment of regular troops, marched from Philadelphia, but in consequence of severe in- disposition * Gen. Forbes did not get farther than Carlisle, when he was compelled to stop for a period of several weeks. He finally reached Raystown about the middle of September. Meanwhile Col. Boquet had completed the road to the Loyalhanna, and, perhaps thinking he could capture Fort Du Quesne with his advance division, before the arrival of the main body, and thus secure to himself the principal honor, sent forward a reconnoissance in force, consist- ing of eight hundred men (mostly Highlanders) under Maj. William Grant. This force reached a point in the near vicinity of the fort, where, on September 14, it was attacked by a body of about seven hundred French and a large num- ber of savages, under command of a French officer named Aubry. Grant was defeated with a loss of two hundred and seventy-three killed and forty-three wounded, the Indians commit- ting terrible atrocities on the dead and wounded Highlanders. Major Grant, the commander, and Major Lewis were taken prisoners. The

*Gen. Forbes seems never to have recovered from the effects of this illness and the exposures incident to the campaign, for he died at Philadelphia Sunday, March 11, 1750, and was buried with imposing military honors, held at Christ church, March 14.

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.

French and Indians then advanced against Boquet, and attacked his position at Fort Lig- onier, but were finally repulsed on October 12, and forced to fall back to Fort Du Quesne.

Gen. Forbes with the main body of his army arrived at Fort Ligonier early in November. A council of war was held, at which it was decided that on account of the lateness of the season and approach of winter ( the ground being already covered with snow ) it was "unadvis- able, if not impracticable, to prosecute the cam- paign any further till the next season, and that a winter encampment among the mountains or a retreat to the frontier settlements was the only alternative that remained." But immedi- ately afterward a scouting party brought in some prisoners, from whom it was learned that the garrison of Fort Du Quesne was weak, and the Indian allies of the French considerably disaffected. Thereupon the decision of the council of war was reversed, and orders were at once issued to move on to the assault of the fort.

The march was commenced immediately, the troops taking with them no tents or heavy bag- gage, and only a few pieces of light artillery. Washington with his command led the advance. When within about twelve miles of the fort, word was brought to Forbes that it was being evacuated by the French, but he remembered the lesson taught by Braddock's rashness, and treated the report with suspicion, continuing the march with the greatest cantion, and with- holding from the troops the intelligence he had received. On the 25th, when they were march- ing with the provincials in front, they drew near the fort and came to a place where a great number of stakes had been driven into the ground, and on these were hanging the kilts of the Highlanders slain on that spot in Grant's defeat two months before. When Forbes' High- landers saw this they became infuriated with rage and rushed on reckless of consequences and regardless of discipline in their eagerness to take bloody vengeance on the slayers of their countrymen. They were bent on the exter- mination of their foes and swore to give no quarter, but soon after, on arriving within sight of the fort, it was found to be indeed evacuated and in flames, and the last of the boats in which its garrison had embarked were seen in the dim distance passing Smoky Island on their way down the Ohio.

Thus, after repeated attempts, each ending in blood and disaster, the English standard was firmly planted at the head of the Ohio, and the French power here overthrown forever. On the ruins of Fort Du Quesne another work was constructed - a weak and hastily built stockade with a shallow ditch - and named " Fort Pitt"* in honor of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. Two hundred men of Washington's command were left to garrison it, and the main body of the army returned eastward over the same route by which the advance had been made. Gen. Forbes proceeded at once to Philadelphia, where, as before stated, he died in March, 1759.

Although, as a result of Forbes' expedition, the French were driven beyond the borders of the province, many of their Indian allies con- tinued hostile and harassed the frontier settle- ments of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia for several years thereafter. Hence, in keeping open the line of communication be- tween Carlisle and Fort Pitt, the forts at Ship- pensburg, Loudon, Littleton, Juniata,t Bedford t and Ligonier were each garrisoned with a force of from one hundred to three hundred men. Besides the regularly enlisted soldiers, there also gathered at each post various camp follow- ers, including army sutlers, Indian traders, inn- keepers, artisans, washwomen, etc. Numbers of them remained permanently in the vicinity of the forts named, established " tomahawk " claims, and in consequence became the first settlers of their respective neighborhoods.

Toward the close of the year 1762 a treaty of peace between England and France was con- cluded, but it was not proclaimed in Philadel- phia until January 26, 1763. Peace with Spain soon followed, leaving the inhabitants of Penn- sylvania none but Indian enemies to contend with. Even these had been in a measure pla- cated, and the long-suffering people on the bor- der were just beginning to congratulate them- selves upon a general restoration of peace, and consequent immunity from savage attack and massacres, when " Pontiac's War" burst upon them .. During the summer of 1763 the savages in great numbers attacked Forts Pitt, Ligonier,

* The new and substantially constructed Fort Pitt was com- menced in August, 1759, and completed during the fall of that year by a force under the command of Gen. John Stanwix.

t The stockade work of defense at the "Juniata Crossing " was erected by Forbes' troops in the summer of 1758.

# The fort at this point, formerly termed Ray's Town, was first mentioned as Fort Bedford in a letter from Gen. John Stanwix to Gov. Denny, dated " C'amp at Fort Bedford, the 13th August, 1759."

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CONTINUANCE OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS 1756-1765.

Bedford and other fortified positions, but being repulsed, they broke up into small predatory bands and left naught but death and desolation over a wide region of the province.

In June of that year they murdered " sundry families near Bedford." In speaking of that affair, William Plunkett, in a letter (of date June 20) addressed to Col. Shippen, Jr., said : "The gentlemen at Bedford seem to be of opinion that the design of the Indians may end in dispersing some inhabitants out of their unpurchased lands. Whether their cruel rage will end there I don't pretend conjecture, but must take liberty to wish that the poor, scattered, defenseless inhabi- tants on the frontiers of this colony were put into some posture of defense, for I can safely say from my own knowledge, that their present situ- ation discovers them an easy prey to their enemies."

On the 25th of June, Gen. Jeff. Amherst, then stationed at New York, as the commander-in- chief of the English forces in America, addressed a letter to Gov. Hamilton, of which the follow- ing is an extract :

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History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania, Part 7

Author: Waterman, Watkins & Co. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Number of Pages: 967

Author: Waterman, Watkins & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 967