History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 3

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 812

USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 3

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Opposite Tioga Point, on the west side of the river, was Queen Esther's town, which was probably built not far from 1770. Its exact date cannot now be determined. As there is no mention made of it by the Moravian mission- aries, it is not likely that it had an existence long prior to their departure from the valley ; for on account of its prox- imity to Schechshequanink it would have been noticed by them. It attracted attention during the Revolutionary war, because of the prominence acquired by the notorious woman whose name it bears.

At the junction of the Chemung (old Tyaoga) and the Susquehanna rivers was Diahoga (Tioga), the oldest, most populous and important Indian town in the county, if not in the State, of which there is any authentic record. This was the door into the territory proper of the Iroquois con- federation. To it all the great paths centred. All persons who entered this territory, except by this door or the Mo- hawk, were considered and treated as spies and enemies. Here was stationed a Cuyuga sachem, who, in the figurative language of the nation, guarded this door of their long house, and whoever entered their country must first obtain his permission. It was the place of rendezvous for war parties going out on their expeditions, and to this point pris-

# They now belong to the Bradford County Historical Society.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

oners were brought to be disposed of according to the eus- toms of the League, either to be put to death with most cruel tortures, or adopted into the family of some slain warrior, thenceforth to forget former home and kindred, and be re- ceived in all respects into the place of his former enemy. So well known and important was this town that all travelers from above Wyalusing are said to have come from or above Diahoga. The population was predominantly Iroquois, al- though in later times other tribes were represented here. Weiser reached this town March 29, 1737. As affording a picture of one phase of Indian life, a somewhat lengthy extraet from his journal may be pardoned. He says,-

" There are many Indians living here, partly Guiukers (Cuyugas), partly Mahikunders (Mohicans). We went into several huts to get meat, but they had nothing, as they said, for themselves. The men were mostly absent hunt- ing ; some of the old mothers asked us for bread. We re- turned to our quarters with a Mahikander, who directed his old gray-headed mother to cook a soup of Indian corn. She hung a large kettle of it over the fire, and also a smaller one with potash, and made them both boil briskly. What she was to do with the potash was a mystery to me, for I soon saw it was not for the purpose of washing, as some of the Indians are in the practice of doing, by making a lye and washing their foul and dirty clothes. For the skin of her body was not unlike the bark of a tree, from the dirt which had not been washed off for a long time, and was quite dried in and eracked, and her finger-nails were like eagles' claws. She finally took the ash-kettle off the fire and put it aside until it had settled, and left a elear liquor on top, which she carefully poured into the kettle of corn. I inquired of my companions why this was done, and they told me it was the practice of these, and the Shawanos, when they had neither meat nor grease, to mix their food with lye prepared in this manner, which made it slippery and pleasant to eat. When the soup was thus prepared, the larger portion was given to us, and out of hunger I quietly eat a portion whieb was not of bad taste. The dirty cook and unclean vessel were more repulsive. ... The Indians eat so much of this soup that they became siek."

In 1743, six years later, John Bartram,* the celebrated English botanist, in company with Lewis Evans, Conrad Weiser, having Indian guides, set out on horseback from Philadelphia on the 3d of July. On the 15th the party reached the confines of our county. Emerging from the terrible wilderness of the Lycoming, about two hours before sunset, they " came to oak and hickory land, then down a steep bill producing white-pine, to a creek called Cornuria, t a branch of Towentobow (Towanda), where we lodged." The next day passing up a little hill, steep and somewhat, stony, then " through a great white-pine, spruce swamp, full of roots and abundance of old trees lying on the ground, or leaning against live ones ; they stood so thick that we concluded it almost impossible to shoot a man one hundred yards distant ;" then down a small hill and crossed a small

run, then climbed a steep hill, by ten, to a large creek called Uskebrow, which is evidently the Oscolui of Weiser, or the Sugar creek of modern times. The route taken by the travelers was the usual Sheshequin path. Leaving the Sugar creek a little below the lower end of the narrows, the party passed over the mountain, struck Merritt's or Buek creek and the Susquehanna at Ulster or Milan ; probably the former, for they say, afterwards, they passed up the river two miles before reaching the junction of the two rivers. Reaching the Cayuga branch, near one hundred yards wide, which we crossed, then rode near a mile to the town-house bearing north ; this town is called Tohicon (Tioga), and lies in a rich neck between the branch and main river. The Indians welcomed us by beating their drum as soon as they saw us over the branch, and continued beating after the English manner, as we rode to the house, and while we unsaddled our horses, laid in our luggage, and entered our- selves ; the house is about thirty foot long and the finest of any I saw among them. The Indians cut long grass and laid it on the floor for us to sit or lie on; several of them came and sat down and smoked their pipes, one of which was six foot long, the head of stone, the sten a reed ; after this they brought victuals in the usual manner. Here I observed for the first time in this journey that the wormns, which had done much mischief in several parts of our province by destroying the grass and even corn for two summers, had done the same thing here, and had eat off the blade of their maize and long white grass, so that the stems of both stood naked four foot high; I saw some of the naked, dark-colored grubs, half an inch long; though most of them were gone, yet I could perceive they were the same that had visited us two months before; they clean all the grass in their way in any meadow they get into, and seem to be periodical, as the loeust and caterpillar, t the latter of which I am afraid will do us a great deal of mischief next summer. Here one of our hosts at the hunting cabin left us to go up this branch to his own country, that of the Cayu- gas ; this night it rained a little, and the morning was very foggy."

They remained here only till the next day, when they pursued their journey northward up the Susquehanna, which they made in safety, returning on the 7th of August " to the Tohicon town on the Cayuga branch ; this place we arrived at by noon, but stayed there all night, frightened by several showers that passed over the mountains in sight ; indeed it rained a little here. I walked to the branch after dinner, and found abundance of fossils on the banks, but the distance of the way, and heavy load of our baggage, were an insurmount- able bar to my bringing any home. This day the Anticoque interpreter that traveled with us from Onondaga, who left the path a little to hunt, missed our track, and hit upon an Indian town three miles up the branch, and there picking up a squaw brought her with him. The chief man of the town came to visit us in a very friendly manner ; and our

# Observations on the Inhabitants, Climate, Soil, Productions, etc., made by Mr. John Bartram, in his Travels from Pennsylvania to Onondaga Oswego, and the Lake Ontario, in Canada. London, 1751. I have not met this name before, but is probably the main branch of the Towanda, and the locality between East Canton and Le Roy.

# I have quoted this paragraph at length, because it is the first in- stance I have met with in which destructive insects were known to have infested this county. It is a question for the naturalist to answer, how this pest made its way one hundred and fifty miles into the wilderness, and to what species it belonged. It certainly is not of frequent occurrence in this county.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

interpreter telling him where we had been, what about, and how well we had succeeded, he testified abundance of satisfaction that peace was not like to be interrupted ; he added, when he came home his people told him we had passed through his town, but that we had not informed them of our business.

" This furnishes us with an instance of the punctilio the Indian constantly treats travelers with; the people, though earnestly desiring to know our commission, would not take the liberty to ask us."

On the 8th, the party left Tohicon, " and continued our journey without meeting anything worth remarking; the ground we had passed, rode over on our way out, and had lodged at the very creek we spent this night in." (July 15.)

" 9th. We traveled to a fine creek big enough to drive two mills. We stopped for this night at the foot of a great hill, clothed with large magnolia, two feet diameter and one hundred feet high ; perfectly straight, shagbark-hickory, chestnut and chestnut oak. This like a bridge between the northeast and northwest branches of Susquehanna ; here is also a spring, from whence the water runs to both branches." The next day he notes that, while waiting, " Lewis Evans* took an observation here, and found the latitude 41° a half."

In 1745, many Mohicanst resided at Tioga, and the town continued, until the French war, inhabited partly by Mohicans and partly by Cayugas. During the French war, in which both the Delawares and the Iroquois were in- volved, Diahoga was the place of rendezvous for the forces which laid waste the whole northern frontier of Pennsylva- nia. Here Teedyuscung plotted and planned those expe- ditions by which he exacted the price in blood for the land on the forks of the Delaware from which he had been so haughtily driven a few years before. For a time the town was temporarily abandoned. In 1758 it is reported, "all the houses in this town are in ruins. No Indians live there." After the treaty at Easton in that year it was re- built, and in 1760 is spoken of as a flourishing town. During the Pontiac war it was again deserted. In 1766, " Oweke is the forepost of the Cayugas, where they keep a chief posted as sentinel for the country." The town was rebuilt soon after, and until the Revolution maintained its import- ance. It was guarded by the Iroquois with sleepless vigi- lance. Here their chiefs frequently met embassies from the southern dependencies and from the Province to inform them of the decrees of the Great Council. In 1779 it was destroyed by the army of General Sullivan, and thence- forth ceased its existence as an Indian town. Although in several instances separate skeletons have been found at vari-

ous places, no general burial-place has as yet been discov- ered in this region.

On a creek emptying into the Chemung a few miles west of Tioga, marked on our maps as Toodle or Tutelow creek, was a diminutive town of Tuteloes. These were 'probably a tribe of the Shawanese, a wandering, warlike people, who, after being driven by the Spaniards from Florida, some time previous to 1700, had migrated north- ward. The Tuteloes seem to be the most dissolute of the nation ; and when visited by the missionaries of the Mora- vian church, in 1747, their town Skogari, in what is now Columbia county, is described as "the only town on the whole continent inhabited by Tuteloes, a degenerate rem- nant of thieves and drunkards."} In the mission diary at Wyalusing, under date of July 21, 1765, is the entry : " The entire nation of the Tuteloes, but a handful of men, passed en route for Shamokin to hunt." In the spring of 1766 they were living about three miles from the head of Cayuga lake, and in October, 1767, Zeisberger, on his jour- ney to western Pennsylvania, visited them on Tutelow creek, where they had settled probably the previous spring. After this the name disappears.

Near the State line, at about the western limit of the township of Athens, was a Cayuga town called Ganatoc- kerat. Its precise locality cannot now with certainty be fixed, nor is its history known.

A colony of Monseys, who for a time had their fires about the head of Cayuga lake, near the Tuteloes, in the spring of 1766 removed to near the mouth of Orcutt's creek, in Athens township, and built a town there called Wilawana. It was neither a very important nor perma- nent one, but soon disappeared, its inhabitants joining in the westward migrations which were then taking place.

For more than sixty years after William Penn made his celebrated treaty with the Indians at Shackamaxon, in the fall of 1682, the province was undisturbed by Indian wars. The intercourse between the people of the forest and the whites was friendly and cordial. But a change of policy took place, and the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania began to imitate the grasping plans of their neighbors in procuring the alienation of Indian title. In September, 1737, the celebrated walking purchase took place, in which there was such a palpable violation of the ancient custom of measur- ing by walks, that the Delawares repudiated the measure- ment and refused to remove from the territory. Suspicion took the place of confidence, and charges of frand were fre- quently made, and when the Proprietaries subsequently called upon the Six Nations to remove their subjects from tbe disputed territory, the Delawares were exasperated al- most beyond endurance, both on account of being compelled to leave their favorite homes in the forks of the Delaware, as well as by the insolent manner in which it was accom- plished, and seized the first opportunity for revenge. Until the French war, the Iroquois were the steadfast friends of the English, and held their subjects in check, so that no general outbreak occurred until the defeat of Braddock, in July, 1755, and then the whole frontier was in a blaze. The wrath which had been smothered for eighteen years

* In 1755, Lewis Evans published for the proprietaries, " A General Map of the Middle British Colonies," which, so far as we know, was the first attempt to delineate on a map the area of Bradford County. The representation of course is very rude and imperfeet, but the gen- eral idea of the eouotry was evidently obtained on this trip. This must be the apology, if any is needed, for interrupting our nar- rative with these extracts from Bartram's journal.

t The ancient seats of the Mohicans were in New England and southeastern New York, from which, being driven by the whites, they migrated to tho head-waters of the Delaware, where many of thein mingled with the Monseys, while the remnant found a place at Diahoga.

# "Life of Zeisberger," p. 149.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

now burst forth in terrible fury upon the defenseless settlers. Teedyuscung, the king of the Delawares, formerly a pro- fessed friend of the English, who had been baptized into the faith of the gospel by the Moravian missionaries, be- eame an apostate, made common cause with the hostile party, and, seizing the hatchet with fierce eagerness, became one of their boldest captains. The Six Nations were di- vided in sentiment, some remaining neutral, the others taking part, some with the French and some with the English. The Delawares and Shawanese were therefore left free to pursue their bloody work unhindered. The massacres at Penn's creek and the Mahony speedily fol- lowed. For three years the Province suffered all the hor- rors of a border Indian warfare. The Delawares, who had been removed upon the Susquehanna, exacted the price of blood for the land from which they had been driven.

In these troubles, the Monseys of our county were active participants. Removing their families to the Iroquois country, where they would be beyond the reach of provincial scouting-parties, their warriors hung like a shadow upon the frontier settlements. Now swooping down upon some unsuspecting pioneer, murdering or carrying captive his family to Tioga, now falling like a thunderbolt upon some scout, unsuspicious of danger, they sent terror to the very heart of the Province.

A truce was made at the congress at Easton, in October, 1758; and in August, 1761, there was arranged a definite treaty of peace, prisoners were delivered up, and the Dela- wares were satisfied for their land. At these treaties, as also at the one held at Lancaster, the following year, the Monseys, who had been among the last to lay down the hatchet, were largely represented. Teedyuscung's warriors, chiefs, and braves, from "Tiahoge," " Wickhalousin Indians, Papoonhauk's people," formed a considerable part of the gathering .*

This peace, however, was of but short continuance. The Pontiac conspiracy was on foot even while the Indians were negotiating at Lancaster, and for another three years, in the western country, were repeated the horrors of the French war. In this war the Indians on the North Branch did not bear a conspicuous part. In April, 1763, Teedyuscung's village, at Wyoming, was set on fire, and the " king of the Delawares" perished in a drunken debauch. Deprived of their leader, the Monseys were not eager for another conflict. It is not known that any, except a portion of the Wyalusing Indians, were engaged in the conflict, although the whole country was in a state of disquiet and alarm.

In the remonstrance of the Paxton Boys to the assembly

in 1764 they say, "Some of the Indians now in the barracks of Philadelphia are confessedly a part of the Wyalusing Indians, which tribe is now at war with us, and the others are the Moravian Indians, who, living with us under the cloak of frienship, carried on a correspondence with our known enemies on the Great Island. We cannot but ob- serve with sorrow and indignation that some persons in this Province are at pains to extenuate the barbarous cruelties practiced by these savages on our murdered brethren and relatives, which are shocking to human nature, and must pierce every heart but that of the hardened perpetrators or their abettors ; nor is it the less distressing to hear others pleading that although the Wyalusing tribe is at war with us, yet that part of it which is under the protection of the government may be friendly to the English, and innocent."

After 1768, Sir William Johnson having been appointed by the British government general superintendent of Indian affairs, we do not hear much more of our Bradford County Indians, except as connected with the Moravian missions, until the Revolutionary war. In the report of the gov- ernor of Pennsylvania, made to the Earl of Dartmouth, on the state of the Province, dated Jan. 30, 1775, it is stated :+ " Before the late Indian war there were a number of Indians settled in several parts of the province; but during that war, and since, they have withdrawn themselves beyond the western and northern limits of the Province." An exception to this statement should be made, as it is certain Tioga con- tinned to be inhabited as an Indian town during at least a part of the Revolutionary war.

INDIAN PATHS.

The Indian exhibited a remarkable knowledge of local- ity. Without roads, destitute of means for accurate meas- urement, his knowledge of the geography of the country appeared at first sight to be intuitive. Further acquaint- ance, however, disclosed the fact that it resulted only from experience and keenness of observation. Frequently led hundreds of miles into a strange country, either in pursuit of game or of an enemy, it was of the last importance that he should be able to find his way back. To do this he must learn to observe closely and rapidly, and remember accurately every minute detail, either in the configuration of the country or the trees of the forest.

He also found it convenient to have well-defined and beaten paths or trails, connecting important settlements, and leading to important and frequented places, especially to the favorite hunting-grounds. We find numerous paths of this sort traversing our county, following for the most part the course of the larger streams. The most important of these was the Great Warrior path down the Susquehanna. This began at Tioga, crossing the Chemung at the rifts, near its junction with the North Branch, passing to the east side of the river at the fording-place near Sheshequin ; thence to Shamokin (Sunbury), where it was joined with the West Branch path, and theuce to the nations of the south and west.

The Minisink path, beginning at Tioga, crossed the North Branch, led in a southeasterly direction along the

# The names of the Wyalusing Indians ( Papoonhank's people), from Bradford County, at the treaty at Lancaster, 1762, are as follows : Wanoadea, Tunkghoak, Papoon, Newoale, Wajeathu, Sakimoamos, Tutulas, Loapeghk, Queghkoan, Claghkolen, Woayaghk, Maghmene- koner, Mosawoapamech, Meshkus, Uleweaghkomen, Kuwoghwolan, Keshashink,-Total, 17. From Assinnissink (Standing Stone) and Tiahoge : Echhoan, Jagheabus, Tennowankeghla, Chowock, Agbki- amoawach, Woanpokchak, Twishk, Metamen, Komelolakit, Eleman, Canogharis, Eghen, Mamalekan, Richall, Matalish, Ashook, Weghee- lap, Oghquetoto, Kakulelaman, Memenelawat, Ochles, Woleeghan, Quiloawas, Ulamatahemon, Peshawao, Queshkshima, Teelashk, Pcesh- quoloaton, Pamoawonagh, Shekoape, Kobus, Cheelanos, Unakesh,- Total, 33 .- Pennsylvania Archives, iv. 90.

+ Pennsylvania Archives, iv., p. 598.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

southern part of the northern tier of townships, on the divide between the creeks running north and those running south, to the Minisink country on the Delaware.

The Sheshequin path was the great thoroughfare from Tioga to the villages on the West Branch. On this path there were two trails, conuected at various points by cross- paths. One trail followed up the Lycoming to the Beaver Dam, at the southwestern angle of the county ; thence down the Meadows, crossing to the north side of the Towanda creek, near East Canton ; thence down the creek to near Monroeton, where it branched, one trail leading to Tawan- daemunk and the other to Oscului. The other trail fol- lowed up the Pine creek, taking the east fork, passing near

An unfrequented path led up the Wysauking and down the Wapusening to Owege.

The Wyalusing path was traced up the Muncy creek to its head, then crossed the Loyal Sock creck near where the Ber- wick turnpike now crosses it, then to near where the village of Dushore now stands, over to the maiu branch of the Sugar Run to Lewis' mill, over the hill, crossing the river at the present Sugar Run fording-place to M'chiwihilusing, up the Wyalusing to its head, thence to the Apolacon to Zeninge. The marks of this path have been found by persons now living, and it was one of the most frequented thorough- fares between the Monsey towns on both branches of the river.

WILAWANE

4766

TUTELO:B

NOC-

DIAHOCA

MINISIN K

PATH

Nov

17 84

SCHECHECHIQUANIN -

NESE TOWN.

WISACSAM

GSCULU

PRI

SUCSHECUIN PATH

OSCHAHA

.......

USI

CY ALUS

PATH

DANANTAA

PROPRIET ARIES

WYALUBING FATH

INDIAN MAP OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PA.

Mainsburg, through Troy, and down the Sugar creek to Oscului, where, connecting with the other trail, it passed over the Ulster mountain, called "the narrow way," and reached the Warrior path near Sheshequin. A connecting path led from near Le Roy to Burlington. Wciser came the Lycoming, Le Roy, and Burlington route in 1737, and Zeisberger took the Pine and Sugar creek route in 1750, in order to reach Onondaga through the prescribed door at Tioga ; and both these travelers have left a record of' the terrible hardships and dangers which were experienced in traversing these trails, leading as they did over mountains, through swamps, and almost impenetrable thickets of laurel, where frequently they were compelled to creep on their hands and feet for some distance. 3

INDIAN NAMES.

The correct orthography and proper signification of In- dian names, especially in this region, must always re- main somewhat uncertain. Having no written language, the Indians were unable to express words in orthographic characters. Each writer endeavored to represent in proper characters the sounds of the word as pronounced by his in- former. When we consider the difficulty always experienced in catching the precise pronunciation of a foreign word, it is not surprising that we find great diversities in the man- ner of spelling proper names. In addition to this, we must often depend upon travelers, who, though shrewd to transact the business for which their journey was undertaken, often

WYAL

MEADOWS

MICHIHIHILUSING

TOWANDA

CROSSING PATH

TOWANDAEMUNKA

INDIAN

GREAT. WAR PATH

AL SHAWA

PURCHASE.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 3

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 812

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 812