History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 9

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340

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The whole valley was now in a panic of terror, and the people fled down the river and across the country to places of safety; and in after years the women and children told the pathetic stories of their sufferings in their hurried exodus from the dark and bloody ground, where they

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

left here unburied some one of nearly every fleeing family. When the dreadful story spread through the country, it created a profound sensa- tion all over the civilized world.

The militia were called out and ordered to Sunbury. These were to be joined by Capt. Spalding's company. A detachment from New York was given them, and under Col. Thomas Hartley, of Pennsyl- vania, an expedition was set on foot up the Susquehanna. Much delay in getting the expedition ready, followed. Only in September had 200 men assembled at Muncy, of these 130 were from Wyoming under Capt. Spalding, sixty of whom were from the Eleventh Pennsylvania Regiment. With this little band Col. Hartley set out for Tioga Point, September 21. The road was a terrible one; the fall rains had raised the streams, and of the route Col. Hartley said : " I cannot help observing that I imagine the difficulties in crossing the Alps or passing up the Kennipeck could not have been greater than those our men experienced for the time." Four days was this journey, through the cold rains and wading streams frequently, and on the cold ground at night without fire, for fear of the enemy, and yet these men never so much as murmured. The first of the enemy they discovered was near where is now Canton, in the southwest corner of the county. Sept. 26, Hartley's advance met a party of Indians, fired upon them, killed and scalped their chief and the others fled. In the neighborhood of LeRoy they came upon a fresh camp where about seventy had spent the night previous, but had fled on Hartley's ap- proach. The command pressed on as fast as possible to Shes- hequin ; here they rescued fifteen prisoners from the Indians, and recaptured quite a number of cattle. Col. Morgan was to have joined Col. Hartley at this point, but failing to do so, a small detachment was sent to Tioga, and Queen Esther's village was destroyed. No more daring military movement was ever made with impunity, than this of Col. Hartley's. He returned rapidly, the first day reaching Wyalusing, where they halted and cooked the little beef they had as all the food left. The powerful enemy was rapidly collecting to swoop down on his little band and exterminate them, and Hartley realized that he must move fast enough to keep ahead of any pursuers. They had hardly formed in the march out of Wyalusing when they met the enemy,-these they soon dispersed, and in a short time again were attacked in front but again beat off their assailants. As they reached Indian Hill on the lower edge of Bradford county, a heavy attack was made on their left flank and rear,-the rear guard gave away when Capt. Spalding went to its support. Col. Hartley skillfully handled his men, while those in the boats landed and came up in the rear of the enemy, when they supposing they were about to be surrounded precipitately fled. Hartley's loss was four killed and ten wounded. Col. John Franklin was in this expedition as captain of the Wyoming mili- tia. In his diary is this entry : "The troops retook a great number of the Wyoming cattle, horses and other property, and returned with their booty October 1 ; they met many hazardous skirmishes, with the loss of several lives. Several Indians were killed. Col. Hartley and

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

his men were warmly thanked on their return by the executive coun- cil of Pennsylvania."

The battle and massacre of Wyoming occurred July 3 and 5, 1778, now one hundred and twelve years ago, and yet the barest recitals are enough to chill one's blood in horror. The people had fled to Forty Fort, when they heard of the devastation that roving band of Indians, in which were white men often directing the bloody work, were making along the Susquehanna valley. The Indians in strong force bore down upon them and the men in the forts, instead of waiting and standing upon the defensive within the inclosure, marched out and gave battle. A heavy fight was kept up in front, and the Indians sent out a force on the flanks, and then closed in on their rear and killed or captured all. This battle occurred on July 3, and on that and the next two days they amused themselves killing every one they had captured. Here the savage Queen Esther shocked the civilized world by her brutal ferocity. A number of captives were arranged in line near the foot of the hill and near the Susquehanna river at the base of Bloody Rock, tied and held by the Indians while this female monster walked in front of the line braining them, one by one, with a heavy tomahawk. Only two men escaped. One of these it is said was Joseph Elliott, who settled in Merryvale township, and whose descendants are still living there. They broke away from those holding them and sprang into the river, and by diving under drift wood finally got away and from their pursuers, who sent a shower of bullets and arrows after them, wounding each one several times, but fortunately only slightly ; and after crossing the stream they were soon hid in the mountains, and after many days and much danger they made their way separately to civilization and safety. This crowning act of infamy on the part of the Indians closed the doors to all further attempts at peaceful arbitrament, at least until the heavy hand of punishment should fall upon the mon- sters. The historians of that evil day say that in the force that at- tacked the whites at Wyoming or Forty Fort, were 800 Seneca Indians, and 400 British, or Tories.

The Continental Congress now determined upon the vigorous measures to punish the Indians who had been practicing the most cunning deception on the frontier settlers, protesting entire neutrality between the Americans and the British. They now had the correct insight into the Indian character. The Congress advised with Gen. Washington, and it was determined to send a strong force up the Sus- quehanna, and from thence through the Genesee valley, the heart of the powerful Iroquois nation, and lay waste and kill to their utmost power-kill the men and lay waste the lodges, villages, as well as take cattle, ponies, and destroy all their growing crops. In the rich Genesee valley the Iroquois had advanced in the cultivation of the soil beyond anything known of any other Indians at that day, and here the British could find abundant supplies for invading armies, as well as great assistance from the braves in these extended and pitiless inroads upon the frontier settlers. Gen. Washington advised this move- ment as the only way to strike effectively this dangerous enemy in the rear-more threatening than the armies in front. The result was Gen.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

John Sullivan's expedition up the Susquehanna. Washington's instruc- tions for the commander bear date May 31, 1779. He tendered the command to Gen. Gates, who, on account of age, declined, and it was given to Gen. John Sullivan, who was directed to rendezvous a force of about five thousand men at Easton, Pa., and march up the Susquehanna. At the same time, Gen. Clinton was ordered to move with his bri- gade of New York troops and pass down the upper Susquehanna and join Sullivan's forces at Tioga (now Athens), Bradford county. This was one of the important military movements of the Revolutionary war-in results, perhaps, far exceeding any or all others. It was forced reluctantly upon Washington, who had forgiven one act of treachery after another on the part of the red men. After he and the American people had exhausted every means to keep terms of amity with the Indians, or at least to remain neutral in the rebellion against the Mother Country. There was nothing in the question between the two countries that should have caused the Indians to take sides. In their dense ignorance they knew not that they were by their folly, not only forfeiting their rich possessions, but were periling their very existence as a tribe. Washington's military genius indicated to him the immediate results that must follow the success of Sullivan's expe- dition, but to greater and ulterior results, it is highly probable, neither entered his mind nor that of the Continental Congress. A panic ensued, and in a few minutes the field was covered with flying fugitives, pursued by yelling, murderous savages, and more than one- half of the entire force soon lay dead on the field. Of all the prisoners taken, but five escaped alive. Maj. Butler reported 227 scalps, and he adds : "The Indians were so exasperated with their loss last year, near Fort Stanwix, that it was with the greatest difficulty that I could save the lives of these few." He congratulates his superiors in his report that the women and children were spared. Three of the Gore boys and their two brothers-in-law lay dead on the battlefield, side by side. The poor mother in the fort heard the firing and saw our men in confusion and being tomahawked, and stood in the door of the fort awaiting the awful news so soon to break upon her. and when it did come, " What ! have I one son left ? " was all that escaped her quivering lips.

The expedition was directed against the Six Nations, the most powerful body of savages this continent ever knew. Their seat of empire was along the Genesee valley by the lakes. They had trod- den like the grass the other tribes of America, extending their con- quests to Florida and west to the Mississippi river. The lands in New York were as rich and beautiful as any on the continent. They had progressed in agriculture until broad, smiling fields of grain, corn and various vegetables, were on every hand. They had comfortable huts, and in some cases rude chimneys to them. They struck the cruel blow upon the helpless frontier people, and thereby forfeited all their rich inheritance. In Gen. Washington's instructions to Sullivan and in his report to Congress he says: "I congratulate Congress on his (Gen. Sullivan's) having completed so effectually the destruction of the whole of the towns and settlements of the hostile Indians in so short a time and with so inconsiderable a loss of men." In his letter of instruction

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

to the commander before starting he said : "It is proposed to carry the war into the heart of the country of the Six Nations, to cut off their settlements, destroy their next year's crop, and do them every other mischief which time and circumstances will permit." And again, that there might be no misapprehension, he adds: "The immediate objects are the total destruction of the hostile tribes of the Six Na- tions and the devastation of their settlements and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible." There could be no mistake here on the part of Gen. Sullivan. Not only the commander, but the civilized world, understood that here was the terrible answer back to the Wyoming massacre. This was war, not strictly in kind, but swift and terrible, and gave us empire from ocean to ocean. Strict neutrality would have left the Indians in peace, the possession of their homes, crops, ponies and cattle, but far greater than these their rich and boundless land possessions.

Gen. Sullivan's expedition was at the same time supplemented- rather duplicated-by a similar expedition simultaneously carried on by Gen. George Rogers Clark, down the Ohio river and into the Illi- nois against the British forts at Kaskaskia and Vincennes. The first was under the Continental Congress and Gen. Washington, while the other was under Virginia (Gov. Patrick Henry) and the "Hannibal of the Northwest "-Gen. George Rogers Clark.

These military expeditions, conceived and executed at the same time, one by Washington and Congress, the other by Gov. Patrick Henry and Gen. Clark, the movements of each unknown to the other, are two of the most stupendous episodes in the annals of mankind.

The question of the success of the American Revolution, little as it was known by our great forefathers, was the very soul and being of the advance of the human race in liberty, in thought, and the higher civilization. We can now know the liberty gained by the Ameri- cans in its reflected influence spread over the world, even to the re- motest corner of the British Empire itself, after its long seven years of cruel war of attempted subjugation. The American Tories-even these mistaken men, so fierce in opposing their own neighbors, and sometimes members of their own families -- were among the. beneficia- ries of the heroic struggles of the noble sons of liberty. Until the hour of the conception of the Sullivan and the Clark expeditions, there was no thought among the fathers other than that of independence for the little fringe of territory that ran along our Atlantic shore. It was hardly more than individual liberty in their ideas, but these two expe- ditions were the secret of our present wide empire: these numerous stars set in azure blue, now glinting upon sixty-two millions of free- men, marching ever onward. These then were vastly more than local events. In results they were not only continental, but world-wide and as enduring as the hills. They have touched the whole human race, and made millions of freemen where otherwise would yet have been bred only galley slaves-men and women yoked to the cruellest ser- vitude.

Here the chief interest in Sullivan's expedition, as a part of the local history, is, that his army passed through Bradford county, follow-

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

ing the river to where is now Athens, where a fort was built, and where Gen. Clinton joined Sullivan by coming down the stream that he had ascended, and thus strengthened Gen. Sullivan marched out and fought the battle of Newton (near Elmira), and overwhelmingly defeated the Mohawk warriors under their greatest commanders, Joseph Brandt and Col. Butler, and their English allies, with their science of war, added to their savage cunning, bravery and fortitude.

The army passed up on the east side of the river, nearly the same as is the bed of the railroad. From the many diaries of men in the expedition is extracted the following, verbatim, from that of Maj. James Norris, commencing with their arrival at the battle ground of Wyoming:

June, 18, 1779. The New Jersey and New Hampshire brigades, with Proctor's reg- iment of artillery, under the command of Major-General Sullivan, began to march from Easton on an expedition to the western frontiers against the savages. [Omitting the next few days the extracts are taken up again on the arrival at the battle ground.]

23. Our next place of halting is Wyoming. * * About 4 miles from this town we saw two Monumenta set up by the wayside in memory of Capt. Davis and Lieut. Jones, of the 11th Pennsylvania Reg't, with the following inscription "The place where Capt. Davis was murdered by Savages, April 23d, 1779," & "The blood of Lt. Jones- About 12 o'clock we entered the Town of Wyoming which exhibits a melancholy scene of desolation, in ruined Houses, wasted fields & Fatherless Children & widows. These unhappy people after living in continual alarms & disputing for many Years their possessions with the Pennsylvanians, at length were attacked by a merciless band of savages, led on hy a more savage Tory, the unnatural monster, Butler; their houses were plundered and burnt, their cattle and effects carried away after they had capitulated; and the poor helpless Women & children obliged to Sculk in the Mountains and perish or travel down to the Inhabitanta, hungry, naked and unsupported; in a word Language is too weak to paint & Humanity unable to bear the history of their sufferings. The Refugees who joined the Indians to cut off this settlement are said to have given proofs of more wan- ton and unnatural Barbarity than even the Savagea themselves. The following is a deeper Tragedy than has been acted since the Days of Cain. A Young man by the name of Henry Pensil, who had escaped the Fate of most of his Countrymen, & in the Evening after the battle had taken refuge in a small Island in the River, was dis- covered by Tory who fiercely accosted him with the Appellation of a Damned Rebel ; the poor fellow being unarmed began to implore his pity, fell down upon his knees and entreated him not to stain his hands with his Brother'a blood. "John, I am your brother, spare my Life and I will serve you :" " I know you are my Brother," replied the Villain, "but you are a damned Rebel, Henry, and we are of opposite sides and Sentiments;" in the meantime was loading his gun with great coolness, which after the most moving appeal to his humanity & Justice, with all deliberation he levelled at his breast and shot him ! Then Tomahawked & Scalped him! Another young man who lay concealed in the bushes a little way off & afterwards made his Escape heard all that passed, and saw the Murderer, who stood up upon a log while he loaded his Gun and Knew him to be the Brother of his unfortunate Companion. He also adda that the Savages came up soon after he had finished the bloody deed ; and cursed his cruelty in the bitterness of their hearts & said they had a great mind to put him to death the same way

24 This Evening one of the Centries fired upon a Savage, who had crept up within 2 or 3 Rods of him to take him by Surprise but the fellow made his escape- * * *

28. Genl Sullivan recd. a Letter from Genl. Clinton, dated Schoharra, advising that he was furnished with 3 Months Provissions, 1700 effective men with him present & 300 more at another post ready to join him & was waiting his Commands .- Same letter adds that he had taken and hanged a British Officer, a Spy, who was going from But- ler's Army to N. York-by the Same Express we learn from Genl. Clinton that the Oneida tribe of Indians had recd. a letter from Genl. Haldiman, Governor of Quebeck, Charging them with a breach of faith & breathing out threatening against them, if they did not declare in favor of Britain.

2d Rode out this morning with Genl. Poor and Leut. Col. Dearborn about four miles from Camp to view the ground where the battle was fought between the Savages

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

and the people of Wyoming under Col. Butler, he saw a Stockade fort with a Covert Way to a fountain which our guide told us was built for a shew by some of the disaf- fected Inhabitants & given up to the Enemy immediately upon their Approach; we examined the Trees where the line of Battle was formed, but found very few marks of an Obstinate Engagement ; it appears indeed that the Enemy were superlor in num- bers to the Militia and soon after the Commencement of the Action turned their left Flank, this brought on a retreat, in which the savagea masacred upwards of 200 Men-We saw more or less bnues scattered over the ground for near two miles & several Sculls brought in at different times, that had been Scalped and inhumanly mangled with the Hatchet. A captain's commission with 17 Continental Dollars was found in the pocket of the Skeleton of a man, who had laid above ground 12 months-Our guide shewed us where 73 Bodies had been buried in one hole, this place may with propriety be called Golgotha-All the houses along this river have been burnt ; and the Gardens and fields, the most fertile I ever beheld, grown over with weeds and Bushes, exhibit a melancholy picture of Savage rage and Desolation.

" 5 [August] Our next place of Encampment is Wyalusing, distant ten miles the Ground rocky and mountainous, particularly one tremendous ridge over which our right Flank was Obliged to pass, that seemed to over look the World & threaten An- nihilation to our prostrate Troops-After leaving this place the Scene Opened into a fine, clear, extensive piece of Woodland; here the Genl. appreliending an attack, the Signal was beaten for the Army to Close Column this order of March was observed till we left this forest and galned the Summit of a very lofty Mountain; when another Sig- nal was given for marching in files-From the Top of this height we had a grand pros- pective view of our little Fleet coming up the river about three Miles distance-The green hills as far as the eye could reach rising like the seats of an Amphitheatre and the distance of the prospect gave the River and the boats the beautiful Resemblance of Miniature painting-After marching abt. 2 Miles we descended into the low grounds of Wyalusing where every one was amazed at the luxuriant growth of Timber, chiefly Sycamore-few of the trees being less than 6 ft in Diameter; and to close this days march the more agreeably after passing half a mile of piny barren, the plains of Wya- lusing opened to our sight covered with english grass, the greatest and richest Carpet that Nature ever Spread-There was once an Indian Town at this place consisting of about 80 Houses, or hutts built in two parallel right lines forming a Street of 60 or 70 feet wide; with a Church or Chapel in the Center, the place of the town is still to be seen in the old Ruins that remain on the Ground-The natives it seems had actually embraced the Christian Religion which was taught them by a Moravian Missionary from Bethlehem for that purpose in the year 1770, the Connecticut Company having purchased the lands on this River, the Indians Retired farther Westward and left this place in the possession of a few Americans who have joined the Enemy since the Com- mencement of the War-notwithstanding the Settlement has been over run by the Sav- ages and the Town burnt-the Susquehanna at this place makes nearly a right Angle, and forms a point on which the Town stood and where Geul. Sullivans Army lay Two days encamped-"

8th. Sunday morning, 7 o'clock, moved on towards Tioga, and Encamped on a low piece of ground by the River, where there has been a settlement, & four families dwelt in the year 1775. This place is called Standing Stone Bottom - Capt. Spalding who commands the Independent Company in Genl. Hood's light Troops, lived at this place - distance ten miles.

9. Marched at 6 this morning and halted to breath near a cold stream called Wesawking [Wysox], about three and one-half miles from last encampment-Then pursued our route without rest or refreshment twelve miles farther, the Weather hot and the men much fatigued. this brings us to Sheshukonuck Bottom, a large meadow of 150 Acres, lying on the Susquehanna, covered with a vast burthen of wild grass. We rested here this evening .- [This is opposite Ulster ]

In explanation of the route of the army it may be well enough to here explain the apparent fact from these diaries and journals of those who were with the expedition that there is no mention of Towanda creek, or any other point in or about where is now the borough. It seems there was no "journal" of the trip kept by anyone who was on the fleet. There were 120 boats laden with stores, and carrying the cannon, etc. In order to protect the boats there was a detachment of the army that was kept on the west side of the river. And there

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

was no diary kept or that was published in the Government report by any one who was in that portion of the army that was on the west side of the river. It seeems that the main army shortened their route to Sheshequin by striking straight from the bend of the river below Towanda in a northwest course to that place, that is from the mouth of Wysox creek. In this way they passed east of Towanda nearly four miles. The army rested two days at Sheshequin, no doubt chiefly awaiting the arrival of the boats and the detachment that had followed the bends of the river on the west side.

On their way from Wysox to Sheshequin the army passed the Nar- rows above Towanda-called " Breakneck mountain." "On this narrow path some of the cattle fell over the side and were killed.

On the 11th of August they struck tents on the way to Tioga Point. The diary speaks of the splendid rich valley they found two miles above Sheshequin. The main army crossed the river to the west side two miles above Sheshequin. All passed over in safety-one man was washed down stream, but he was rescued. They would stem the swift current in safety by firmly locking hands, and thus supporting each other. The cattle and pack-horses forded also in safety. Maj. Norris then proceeds to say : " After advancing about one mile through a rich bottom covered with strong and stately timber which shut out the sun and shed a cool agreeable twilight, we unexpectedly were in- troduced into a plain as large as that of Sheshequonunck that Esther, Queen of the Seneca tribe dwelt in retirement and sullen majesty, de- tached from all the subjects of her nation. The ruins of her palace are still to be seen ; surrounded with fruit trees of various kinds. At the east end of the plain, the Tioga (Chemung) forms a junction with the Susquehanna river. At this place the army forded the Tioga river about half a mile above the junction where it encamped. We now find our- selves happily arrived at Tioga with our army and fleet."

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 9

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340