USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. I > Part 62
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PART OF WEST NEW JERSEY.
FL.
FIVE CHESTNUT ONSAT THE CHO OF THE DAYAND A HALF WALK ON WHICH ADI ČJT THỊ PROPRIETARIES NAMES AND THE YEAR 1737+
THE
POUDRE VAD
CHAPTER XXX.
THE WALKING PURCHASE.
1737.
Indians dissatisfied .- First purchase. 1682 .- Treaty of 1686 .- Treaty of 1737-Preliminary walk .- Course and distance .- Steele's letter to Smith .- Great walk arranged .- Mar- shall, et al .- The starting .- Monument erected .- Jennings and Yeates give out .- Dis- tance walked .- Ilead line drawn .- The walk 'and the Indians .- Terms of treaty .- About treaty of 1086 .- Treaty of 1718 .- The Charles Thomson map -The exact starting place .- Location of chestnut tree .- Testimony of witnesses .- Fairness of the walk .- Testimony of the Chapman family .- Location of Spruce tree .- Towsisnick .-- Head line of purchase, 1682 .- Solomon Jennings, -- Edward Marshall .- His wife killed .- His death .- Marshall's rifle.
No event in the early history of the county gave so much dissatisfaction to the Indians and led to severer criticism of the Penns than the "Walking Purchase." This was under the treaty of 1737, which confirmed to the Pro- prietaries all that part of Bucks county above a line drawn from the Nesham- iny through the lower part of Wright-town to the Delaware at the mouth of Knowles' creek. We purpose, in this chapter, to give an account of this cele- brated purchase and the way it was carried out.
The first purchase of land in this county of the Indians, as already stated, was in 1682, by William Markham. This embraced all the territory between the Neshaminy and the Delaware as high up as Wrightstown and Upper Makefield. after Pem's arrival he purchased the land lying between the Pennypack and the Neshaminy. The next treaty is said to have been made August 30, 16So, although such treaty, or deed, has never been found, by which the Indians conveyed to Penn all the land above the tipper line of the treaty of 1082, extending as far inland "as a man can go in one day and a half," to be bound on the west by the Neshaminy, and on the east by the Dela- ware. After this treaty white settlers established themselves in considerable number on the lower part of the purchase, and some settled in the country about the Ichigh. The Indians, becoming uneasy at these encroachmint .. desired to have the limits of the treaty of 1686 marked by definite metes and bounds. They had several meetings with the Proprietaries to carry out its provisions. The first was held at Durham, 18341 continued at Pennsbury,
I This historic event took place in the meadows along Durham creek some time in October, 1731. See letter of James Logan to the Proprietar.es, Penna. Archives, Series II, Vol. 7. pages 182-183
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
May, 1735, and concluded at Philadelphia, August 25, 1737. At these meet- ings, or treaties, the limits of the tract described in the treaty of 1686 was con- firmed, and it was agreed the northern boundary should be determined by walking a day and a half in a northwest direction from a point in the head line of the purchase of 1682.
To ascertain how far the walk could be made to extend, the Proprietaries caused a preliminary walk to be made while the treaty of 1737 was in negotia- tion. This was arranged in Philadelphia about April. 1735, by Timothy Smith, sheriff of Bucks county, and John Chapman. They were to procure three persons. "who can travel well," to be accompanied by two others on horseback, with provisions and to assist them on their return. To show the anxiety to have the trial walk before the treaty was concluded, we need but quote the letters of James Steel, Receiver-General under Thomas Penn, who wrote to Timothy Smith the 25th of April. 1735: "The Proprietaries are im- patient to know what progress is made in traveling over the land that is to be settled in the ensuing treaty that is to be held with the Indians at Penns- bury, on the fifth day of the next month, and therefore I now desire thee, without delay, to send down an account of what has been done in that affair," and, on the 29th of the same month. he again wrote to Smith and John Chap- man: "The Proprietaries are very much concerned that so much time hath been lost before you begin the work recommended so earnestly at your leay- ing Philadelphia, and it being so very short before the meeting at Peunsbury, the 5th of next month, that they now desire that upon the return of Joseph Dane. he, together with two other persons who can travel well, should be immediately sent on foot on the day and a half journey, and two others on horseback to carry necessary provisions for them, and to assist them in their return home. The time is now so far spent that not one moment is to be lost : and as soon as they have traveled the day and and a half journey, the Proprietaries desire that a messenger may be sent to give them account with- out any delay, how far that day and a half traveling will reach up the coun- try." Steel promised the Proprictaries would "generously reward" those who engaged in this business.
The parties started on the preliminary walk the 22d of April, 1735, and occupiol nine days. John Chapman went along in the capacity of surveyor, and from John Watson's note-book, who may have been of the party, we obtain the courses and distances, as follows: "From Wrightstown, where the first Indian purchase came to, to Plumstead, is a little to the north of the northwest along the road? nine or ten miles, and the several courses of tlie road from Plumstead to Catatuning hill," is northwest eight miles to the head of l'erkiomen branch, northwest by north four miles to Stokes's meadow,3 north one mile by the okl draught, northwest by north sixteen miles to the West Branch,4 thence by the same north thirty chains, north-northwest twenty-five chains, northwest six ditto, north ninety ditto, north-northwest one hundred and seventeen ditto, north seventy-four ditto, north-northeast thirty ditto, and northwest by north four hundred chains to the mountains." The trees were blazed through the woods so the route could be followed at the subsequent walk. As the Penns caused this walk to he made without the knowledge of the Indians, our readers are able to judge of the morality of the act.
2 Probably Durham Road 3 Applebachsville.
212 Haycock mountain.
Lehigh.
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473
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Immediately the treaty of the 25th of August, 1737, had been concluded, Steel acquainted Timothy Smith of the fact. and asked him, in the name of "Our Proprietor, to speak to that man of the three which traveled and hekdl out the best when they walked over the land before, to attend that service at the time mentioned. when Solomon fennings is expected to join and travel the day and a half with him." Smith and Chapman were both expected to accompany the walk, and the former was to provide needful provisions. The time fixed for the walk, under the treaty, was the 12th of September, but as the Supreme Court, and Quarter Sessions of Bucks county would both be in session then. it was postponed to the roth. The preliminaries were all arranged in advance, and Edward Marshall, James Yeates and Solomon Jennings, all famous walkers, and no doubt one of them "that man which held out the best" in the trial walk. were employed by the Proprietaries to make the walk. It was agreed the Indians should send several of their young men along to see that the thing was fairly done. The walkers were promised £5 in money and five hundred acres of land, but Marshall always maintained that he never received any remuneration. The place of starting was fixed at a large chest- nut tree that stood in the corner of the field where the road from Pennsville meets the Durham road, near the Wrightstown meeting-house. This tree was selected because it was a well-known point, and near the northern bound- ary of the Markham purchase. The walkers were accompanied by several persons on horseback, and provisions were carried for them.
A number of persons had assembled at the place of starting. Marshall, Yeates, and Jennings stood with their hands upen the chestnut tree, and, as the sun showed his face above the horizon, the word was given by Sheriff Smith, and they started. Guided by the compass. they walked in as direct a line as the obstructions would permit, some of the way being on the bed of the Durham road. Bets were made on the speed of the walkers. Yeates led the way with a light step, and next to him, but some way behind, came Jen- nings and two of the Indian walkers, and Marshall came last, far behind Jennings, swinging a hatchet in his hand, and walking in a careless manner. They reached Red Hill.ve in Bedminster, in two and a half hours, and took dinner in the meadow near Wilson's, an Indian trader on Durham creek. sup- posed to have been about where the old furnace stood. They crossed the Lehigh a mile below Bethlehem, at which is now Jones' island, and passed the Blue mountains at Smith's gap. Moore township, Northampton county, and that night slept on the north side of the mountain. The walk was resumed the next day at sunrise, and the extremest point reached at twelve. M. when Marshall, who alone hel! ott, threw himself at length on the ground, and grasped a sapling which marked the end of the line. Jennings first gave out, two miles north of the Tohickon, about ten or eleven o'clock of the first day, and then lagged on behind in the company of the curious. He left them our the Ichigh, and returned to His home above Bethlehem, but never recovered his health. Yeates, who fell in the creek at the foot of the mountain the morn- ing of the second day, was quite blind when taken up, and lived but three days. Marshall Lived to the age of ninety, and died in Tinicum. The walk is
4': On Saturday, September 22 1000, a memorial talet was dedicated nar Ra HER, (Onsville . Bedminster & salat, to commemorate the great walk of 1837. It was the 1630 anniversary. The walkers passed near the place Charles Laubach Durham de . livered a suitable address. The man rial was the gift of J W. Emery, and created at his expense.
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474
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
said to have followed an Indian path that led from the hunting-grounds of the Susquehannas down to the Delaware near Bristol, the same which the Indians followed on their visits to Penn at Pennsbury. The Indians showed their dissatisfaction at the manner in which the walk was conducted, and left the party before it had been concluded. It is said they frequently called upon the walkers not to run. The distance walked, according to the measurements we have, was sixty-one and one-fourth miles. Nicholas Seull says it was fifty-five statute miles, while some estimate the distance as great as eighty-six miles. The following courses and distances were discovered during our in- vestigations, and purported to be those of the walk of 1737, but beyond this we cannet vouch for them :
No. r -N. 34 degrees W., 1378 miles. No. 2-N. 19 degrees W., 334 miles. No. 3-N. 37 degrees W., 147s miles To Lehigh river 3212 miles. No. 4-1. 66 degrees W., 314 miles. No. 5 -- N. 31 degrees W .. St. miles. No. 6-N. 35.30 degrees W., 8 miles. No: 7-N. 30 degrees W .. 9 miles. Total, 6tlg miles. A day and a half's wall :.
When the walkers had reached the furthest point possible to the north- west. from the place of starting at Wrightstown, it remained to run the line to the Delaware. This the Indians expected would be drawn in a direct line to the river at the nearest point, but instead it was rum at right-angles to the line of the walk. and struck the river at or near the Laxawaxen. These lines embraced all the land within the Forks of Delaware, the celebrated Minisink Hats, and in fact all the land worth anything south of the Blue mountains. This also included territory that belonged to the Minsi Indians which the Delawares had no right to convey. This northern line had not been fixed by the treaty, which left it open for the Penns to make their own selection of the course. They are accused of intentionally including in the purchase all the good lands south of the Blue mountains. The southwesterly line of the pur- chase is the line between Bucks and Montgomery counties, or nearly so. It it said, in extenuation of the conduct of the Proprietaries, that it was the intent of the deed to run the northwesterly line from the point where that from the white oak marked J. strikes the Neshaminy, up the most westerly branch of that stream to its utmost limit. then in a straight line back into the woods as iar as a man could go in a day and a half. In the earlier deeds of purchase, where the same or similar words are used to signify the Ene that was to run back into the country, it was meant to be at right-angles to the general course of the river from New Castle to the bend above Pennsburg, and was so run when these lines came to be surveyed. The general course of the river is from northeast to southwest. hence the southwesterly line of the purchase from the atmost limit of the westerly branch of the Neshaminy must be northwesterly. the direction the line was run by the Surveyor-General. Mr. Eastburn. When he came to run the head-line he considered it but just and reasonable that it should be at right-angles to the south-westerly line, and it was so rum. TI > quantity of land unlared in the purchase was about five hundred thousand i seres. James Steel wrote to Letitia Aubrey, in November, 2737. that it re- quired about four days to walk from the upper end of the day-and-a-half's journey, and "that after they crossed the great ridge of mountains they saw very little good or even tobrable lan I fit for settlement."
This wall, gave great dissatisfaction to the Indians, and was the subject
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475
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
of much controversy. It was mainly the occasion of the general Indian coun- cil at Easton, 1750, where the matter was fully discussed. The two main causes of complaint were, first, that the walk should have been made up along the Delaware, and second, that it was not fairly made, that the walkers walked too fast, and too constantly, but should have stopped occasionally to shoot game, smoke and eat. As to the first cause of complaint the Indians had no case. The deed of purchase says, expressly, that the finishing and closing line of the boundary shall be down the Delaware, by its several courses, to the place of beginning at the spruce tree. The exact spot to begin the walk was left optional with the contracting parties, but it was intended to be at some point toward the western extremity of the head-line of the purchase of 1082. There was nothing to prevent fixing the point of starting where the headline crosses the Neshaminy, but Wrightstown was probably selected because it was convenient, and on a public highway. Now as to the unfairness of the walk. By the terms of the treaty the purchase was to extend as far back into the woods "as a man can go in one day and a half." The agreement was clear and explicit, and the Proprietaries were only carrying out the treaty. The walk was intended to be just what was provided for, a real, carnest. business affair, and not an idle walk without object. There was nothing in the terms of the treaty that confined the men to walking, who could have gone at a faster gait had they been so disposed, but there is no evidence that they went faster. The conditions of the deed were probably hard for the Indians, and they may have been overreached in the treaty of 1737, but when the Proprietaries came to have the terms of the purchase carried out, they claimed no more than they were entitled to. "As far as a man can go in a day and a half." back into the woods was to be the limit of the purchase. At the time, the Indians made no objection to beginning the walk at Wrightstown, but this as a cause of con :- plaint was an afterthought when they realized the quantity of land embraced in the purchase. The witnesses all testify that the walk was fairly made in eighteen hours, with the necessary intermissions for one night's rest. and meals.
There is serious question whether there ever was any treaty of 16%. After Pen's death a document was found among his papers, in England. which was endorsed "Copy of the last Indian purchase." It was not an atteste copy, and the handwriting of the endorsement was not known. The "Report of council" on the subject of the complaints of the Indians, made 175S. states that the paper found was in the han Writing of Philip Thehuman, then a note ! clerk in the offices of the Secretary, and land-office, who died, 108. The report further states that the endorsement was by Thomas Hoang, also that mention was made in an ancient diary of William Markham's, that he an l Holme treated with the Delaware Indians for the purchase of the lands in the Forks of Delaware just before the date of the deed in INO. There was never any attempt to prove the dead by calling the persons who witnessed it ; and the only personal evidence is that of William Biles and Joseph Word, Who de- clared they remembered a treaty long hall, last did not know that a deed han been executed. The place where the treaty was arule is not mentioned am- where. At the treaty at Easton. November, 1750, Teddyuscung, chici of the Delaware, denounced the deed of man a forgery, and said that the hand at the Fork's had been taken from him by fraud.
In all the negotiations, touching the deed of you, and its affirmation, i. mention is made of the dead or IKY executed at l'iladelphia. The chicks of the Delaware Indians imagining they had not been paid for all their lan >.
475
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
a number of them came to Philadelphia, in 1718, to demand what was due them. Their complaint was heard in council, and a great number of deeds they had previously made with the Proprietary were presented. They were satis- fied from the deeds that they had been paid for their lands from Duck creek (at the head of Delaware bay ), to near the Forks of Delaware, and executed a release for all those lands and of all demands whatsoever, on account of pur- chases between these points. This deed was executed the 17th of September. 1718, and embraced all the land between Duck creek and the South Mountain. This treaty, and the deed under it, appears to have settled all controversy be- tween the Proprietary and the Indians down to that period. The deed of 1686 does not appear to have been mentioned in this transaction, or, if it were, this new deed was thought to cover the purchase provided by it. The terms of the deed are: "We therefore, in gratitude for said presents, as well in consideration of the several grants made by our ancestors and predecessors, as of the said several goods herein before mentioned, the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge, do, by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, grant and remise, release and forever quit claim unto the said William Penn, his heirs and assigns, all the said lands situated between the said two rivers of Delaware and Susquehanna from Duck creek to the mountains on this side Leechay," etc. The map, accompanying "Charles Thomson's Inquiry," and drawn in 1759, shows the "Leechay hills" stretching away from near the mouth of the Lehigh to the Susquehanna, above the mouth of Conestoga creek. The map has various Indian purchases marked out upon it, and among them is that which "describes the lands granted by the Indians' walking sale, as lately walked out by W. Peason, containing three hundred and thirty thousand acres." The line begins at the Neshaminy where that from the spruce tree strikes that creek, and which it follows up to the "Lecchay hills," thence along these hills to the Delaware, and down the same to the spruce tree. When was this walked out and what for? The deed of 1718 confirms the purchase of all of Bucks county above the purchase of 1682. It leaves no room for doubt. From it we learn that the Delaware Indians had no title to lands south of the Lehigh, and the Proprietary had no right to claim the lands north of that river. So far as the deed of 1718 is considered, it seems to have adjusted all differences between the Proprietary and Indians that had grown up undler previous deeds. In 1727, when some persons wanted to take up lands in the Minisink, James Legan wrote John Watson, the surveyor of Bucks county, to prevent it ; nor would he permit land to be surveyed four miles above Durham. on the ground that it had not yet been purchased of the Indians. The Indians were a good deal provoked because Thomas Penn caused a number of tracts p be surveyed in the Forks of Delaware under his lottery scheme. 1733-34. several of which were taken up and settled upon.
There has been considerable controversy as to the exact point from which the walkers started on the morning of the 19th of September, 1737. Some contend that the chestnut tree stood below Wrightstown meeting-house, while there are not wanting those who believe it was as low down as Newtown. 1 witness of that pertol, Thomas Janney, stated that he saw Yeates. Jennings. and Marshall pass through Newtown on the Great Walk; while Samuel Preston states that Marshall related to hun an account of his great walk frott Bristol to "Stillwater." Of course there is no truth in these statements, s far as the walk of 1737 is concerned. One simple fact is sufficient to controvert these statements, thet the walk was to start from the head line of the pur- chase of je, which ran from the mouth of Knowles' creek, in Upper Make-
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477
HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
field, through the lower end of Wrightstown to the Neshaminy. It is not probable that the Proprietaries would begin the walk several miles below the line fixed upon, and thus reduce the extent of the purchase. Nevertheless we will bring a few witnesses upon the stand and let them tell what they know about the starting point.
Among those who accompanied the walkers, was Thomas Furness, a saddler of Newtown, who had learned the particulars of what was to take place of James Yeates, one of the walkers. He went to the place of starting on the morning in question, "at a chestnut tree, near the turning out of the road from Durham road to John Chapman's," who lived on the road from Wrightstown inecting-house to Pennsville. They had gone when he arrived, but, pushing on, he overtook them before reaching Buckingham, and continued with them to the end. He was probably on horseback. Besides fixing the place of start- ing, Furness gives some incidents of the walk. He states that the Indians left the afternoon of the first day, being dissatisfied with the manner in which the walk was made. The first day twelve hours were walked, and it was twilight some time before they stopped to give them the exact time, that they had a piece of rising ground to ascend and that he called out to them to "pull up." which they did, and that when he said the time was out, Marshall clasped his armis about a sappling for support, and. on the sheriff asking what was the matter, he said he was "almost gone, and could not have walked many polls further." They lodged in the woods that night, and could hear the Indians shouting at a cantico which they held in a town near by. Before the Indians loft the walkers, they complained of the unfairness of the walk, that the walkers would pass all the good land and it was not worth while for them to go any further. The Indians refused to resume the walk the next morning. As the parties returned from the walk, coming near the Indian town, an Indian made a hostile demonstration with a gun, but he did nothing further. Joseph Knowles, a nephew of Sheriff Smith and living with him at the time, accom- panied him on the walk, to carry provisions, and was also present at the pre- Iminary walk and assisted to blaze the trees. In a public statement made thany years afterward, he agrees with Furness as to the place of starting, which, he says, was "at John Chapman's corner, at Wrightstown." John Chap .. man, who owned the land on which the tree stood, accompanied the walk, and his grand-nephew. Elward Chapman, who was born, and died in the township at the age of ninety-one. had a recollection of the chestnut tree, which blew down about 1765. He said the tree stood where located by his uncle, on the south side of the Pennsville road where it strikes the Durham road. now in a corner of the Wrightstown meeting property. Steel writes to Nicholas Scull, 28th of August, 1737, requesting him and John Chapman to run the head-line of the purchase of 1682, from the Delaware to Neshaminy, and he sent the Indian deed to Scull, to aid them in running it. The Proprietaries wanted this donc because "from the second course or line from the spruce tree, the day-and- a-half journey is to begin." No doubt this line, which crossed the Durham road about where the chestnut tree stood, was re-run. and the tree fixed upon as the starting point. because it was a well-known land-mark. Scull. after- ward surveyor-general, in a sworn statement made before the Provincial Coun- c.1, 1757, says he accompanied the walk, that besides himself were Benjamin Hastburn. Surveyor-General. and Timothy Smith, Sheriff of the county, that the distance was about fifty-five statute miles, that they walked eighteen hours, and that it was fairly done, that the night after the walk was completed, he and Eastburn and some others staid at an Indian town called Poahopolkunk,
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