USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 6
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19, Traveled twelve miles this day.
12
20, Came to Frank's Town 26
22, Crossed Allegheny Hill & came to the Clear Fields 16
23, Came to Shawonese Cabbins 34
24, Came to the ten mile Lick. 32
25, Crossed Kisky Monitas Creek & came to Ohio 26
170
NOTE -- The Black Log is 8 or 10 miles southeast of the Three Springs, and Frank's Town lies to ve north, so that there must be a deduction of at least twenty miles.
In other notes he further adds:
Ang'st 11, Set out from my house & came to James Galbreath that day, 30 miles.
12th, Came to George Croghan's, 5 miles.
13th, To Robert Dunning's, 20 miles.
14th. To the Tuscarrora Path, 30 miles.
15th & 16th, Lay by on Account of the men coming back Sick, & some other Affairs hindered ns.
17th, Crossed the Tuscarrora Hill & came to the Sleeping Place called the Black Log, 20 miles.
18th, Had a great Rain in the afternoon; Came within two miles of the Standing stone, 24 miles.
19th, We traveled but 12 miles ; were obliged to dry our things in the afternoon.
20th, Came to Frank's Town. but saw no Houses or Cabins; here we overtook the Goods, because four of George Cro- gan's Hands fell sick, 26 miles.
21st, Lay by, it raining all Day.
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HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
22d, Crossed Allegheny Hill and came to the Clear Fields, 16 miles.
23d, Came to the Shawonese Cabbins, 34 miles.
24th, Found a dead man on the road who killed himself drinking too much whisky; the place being very stony we could not dig a grave; he smelled very strong; we covered him with Stones and Wood and went on our journey; came to the 10 mile Lick, 32 miles.
25th, Crossed Kiskeminetoes Creek and came to Ohio that Day, 26 miles.
26th, Hired a Canoe; paid 1,000 Black Wampum for the loan of it to Logstown. Our horses being all tired, we went by water and came that night to a Delaware town; the Indians used us very Kindly.
The journal continues until September 29, 1748, when he returned to George Croghan's. This trip was made to distribute presents to the Indians, and many councils were had with them. On the 29th of August he arrived at Logstown and says: "This day news came to Town that the Six Nations were on the point of declaring War against the French, for the reason the French had Imprison'd some of the Indian Deputies."
Mr. Croghan made several trips between his cabin, which was five miles above Harrisburg, and the Ohio river, in and about 1750. He was an eminent frontiersman and a colonel among the provincial men. After the fall of Fort Duquesne he located in Pittsburg and procured control of a large quantity of land, of which Schenley Park is a part. George Croghan was an ancestor of Mary Schenley, of London, who gave that beautiful place to the people of Pittsburg a few years ago.
At a council held in Philadelphia on March 2, 1754, at which John Penn, Joseph Turner, and Richard Peters, members of the council, were present, a map of a road to the Ohio was considered, in the following manner :
"And then Mr. Patton and Mr. Montour were examined, who did declare that the Courses and Distances from Carlisle to Shanoppin, an Indian Town on the River Ohio, near the mouth of Mohongialo, are laid down in a map weh they had presented to the Governor, and now produced to the Council with as much Care and Accuracy as in their Power, and that they believed them to be as near the Truth as it could be Known without actual Mensuration; and that the two following tables, taken from the map contain a just description of the Road as well by computation as by the Compass."
58
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
The computed distance of the road by the Indian traders from Carlisle to Shanoppin's town :
From Carlisle. Miles.
From Carlisle to Major Montour's 10
From Montours to Jacob Pyatt's 25
From Pyatt's to George Croghan's, at Aucquick Old Town 15
From Croghan's to the Three Springs. . 10
From the Three Springs to Sideling Hill
7
From Sideling Hill to Coutz's Harbour 8
From Coutz's Harbour to the top of Ray's Hill
1
From Ray's Hill to the 1 Crossing of Juniata.
10
From the 1 Crossing of Juniata to Allaguapy's Gap 6
From Allaguapy's Gap to Ray's Town [Bedford] 5
From Ray's Town to the Shawonese Cabbin. 8
From Shawonese Cabbins to top of Allegheny Mountains. . 8
From Allegheny Mountains to Edmund's Swamp 8
From Edmund's Swamp to Cowamahony Creek.
6
From Cowamahony to Kackanapaulins 5
From Kackanapaulins to Loyal Hannin [Ligonier]. 18
50
From Loyal Hannin to Shanoppin's Town near [Pittsburg] The corners and distances by compass :
N. 20, W. 8 miles to Major Montour's.
W. S. W. 20 miles to Jacob Pyatt's.
N. 20, W. 8 miles to George Crogan's, or Aucquick Old Town.
N. 70 W. 7 miles to the Three Springs.
S. 70. W. 5 miles to Aucquick Gap.
S. 70, W. 516 miles to Coutz's Harbour.
S. 80. W. 9 miles to Allaguapy Gap.
West 3 miles to Ray's Gap.
N. 45, W. the course of the Gap.
N. 63, W. 5 miles to the Shawonese Cabbins.
N. 60, W. 5 miles to the top of Allegheny Mountains.
N. 75. W. 416 miles to Edmund's Swamp.
N. 80. W. 4 miles to Cowamahony Creek.
N. 10, W. 316 miles to Kackanapaulins House.
N. 64. W. 12 miles to Loyal Hannin Old Town.
N. 20. W. 10 miles to the Forks of the Road.
West 10 miles to -.
N. 80, W. 15 miles to Shanoppins Town.
There is no doubt that Cowamahony Creek is the same as Quemahoning, as we know it.
The computations made from a map prepared by Messrs. Patton and Montour are twofold-first, by the estimated dis- tances from point to point, as the best road would lead. to pass around hills and gulches ; and, secondly, by an air line-as the
59
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
bird flies. It will be observed that the distance by the trail from the "top of the Allegheny Mountains to Kackanapaulins" is nineteen miles, while by the air line it is only twelve; and from "Kackanapaulins to Loyal Hannin" it is eighteen miles by the road, and in an air line it is north 64° west, twelve miles distant.
These measurements are practically correct, and these gentlemen did a service of great value to themselves, their de- scendants, and their descendants' neighbors.
When the same question was under consideration Mr. William West, a surveyor, presented the following to the Gov- ernor :
"SIR: Agreeably to your request I herewith send you the Latitude of Shannoppin's Town as taken by Col. Fry, the 16th of June, 1752. I likewise send You the computed Miles from the Three Springs to Shanoppin's Town. I begin there as I take it to be near the same Meridian with the Big Cove, or rather a little to the eastward of it. You will observe that the Road is very crooked, for there being many Hills, we were obliged to make many Windings to come at proper Places to cross them.
About a mile from Shanoppin's
Town Sun's Meridian Altitude 16th June 1752 72 54°
90
Zenith Distance
17
6
Sun's Declination
23
21
Latitude of Shanoppin's Town
40 27
Miles.
From the Three Springs to Sideling Hill
7
To Juniata 19
To Garrett Pendergrass' or Ray's Town. 12
To the Foot of Allegheny Hill. 15
To Edmunds' Swamp the other side of Allegheny Hill 12
To KeKinny Paulins 10
To Loyalhannin 20
To Shanoppin's Town 50
145
"I went to the Log's Town in company with Capt. Thomas McKee, Mr. John Carson, and three Indian traders, from whom I had the within computed distances, which in many places I think are estimated more miles than they would measure, and in some Places We traveled many Miles to make a few Westing,
1
60
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
particularly from the Shawonese Cabbins to KeKinny Paulins, which altho' it is computed near thirty miles I do not think make Ten miles Westing.
"I am Your Honor's most humble servant,
WM. WEST."
Mr. Patten, also, says "he rode in four days from Ohio the Frank's Town Road to Peter Shearer's, about four miles from Susquehanna River, in June, 1750, which, by the Traders com- pntation, is one hundred and twenty-six miles."
At a conference held near Fort Duquesne, on September 3, 1758, Kickanepaulin, who had taken his departure from the vicinity of the Quemahoning, his former habitation, made the following speech in behalf of other Indians to Christian Fred- erick Post, a missionary, and a representative of the Provincial Government. He said :
"Brethren, it is good many days since we have seen and heard you; I now speak to you in behalf of all nations that have heard you heretofore.
"Brethren, it is the first message which we have seen or heard from you; we have not rightly heard you.
"Brethren, you have told of that peace and friendship which we had formerly with you. Brethren, we tell you to be strong and always remember that friendship we formerly had with you. Brethren, we desire you would be strong, and let us have that good friendship and peace we had formerly. Brethren, we desire that you make haste, and let us soon hear of you again. [Gives a string of wampum.]
"Brethren, hear what I have to say; look, Brethren, since we have seen and heard you, we who are present are part of all the several nations, which have heard you some days ago, see that you are sorry that we have not that friendship we formerly had. Look, Brethren, we at Allegheny are likewise sorry we have not that friendship with you we formerly had.
"Brethren, it is good that you have held that friendship we had formerly amongst our fathers and grandfathers. Brethren, we long for that peace and friendship we had formerly. Brethren, we will tell you we must not let that friendship quite drop which was formerly between us. Now, Brethren, it is three years since we dropped that peace and friendship which we had formerly with you. Now, Brethren, it's dropped and lies buried in the ground where you and I stand, in the middle between both. Now, Brethren, since I see you, you have digged up and revived that friendship which was buried in the ground. Now you have it, hold it fast.
"Do be strong, Brethren, and exert yourselves, that that friendship may be well established between us. Brethren, if
61
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
you will be strong, it is in your power to finish that peace and friendship well now. Brethren, we desire you to be strong and establish and make known to all the English of this peace and friendship, that it over all may be well established, as you are of one nation and color in all the English governments.
"Brethren, when you have finished and agreed everywhere together on this peace and friendship, then you would be pleased to send it to us at the Allegheny. Brethren, when you have set- tled this peace and friendship and finished it well, and you send it to me, I will send it to all the nations of my color.
"When I receive your answer and we have looked that everything is well done, so that I can send it to all the nations of my color, they will all join to it and we will hold it fast. Brethren, when all the nations join to this friendship, then the day will begin to shine clear, and as, when we once have more of you and we join together, then the day will be still and no wind or storm will come over us to disturb us. Now, Brethren, you know our hearts and what we have to say. Be strong ; if you do so, everything will be well and what we have now told you, all the nations agree to join.
"Now, Brethren, let the King of England know our minds as soon as possibly can." [Gives a belt of eight rows to seal the compact.]
At a meeting of the Commissioners-Richard Peters, Isaac Morris, and Benjamin Franklin-and Conrad Weiser and An- drew Montour, interpreters, and the representatives of Indians of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawonese, Twightwees, and Onendats, held at Carlisle, October 1, 1753, Scarrooyady said :
"I have something further to say on behalf of the Shawo- nese, Brother Onas: At the beginning of the summer, when the news was brought to us of the approach of the French, the Shawonese made this speech to their Uncles, the Delawares, saying :
" 'Uncles, you have often told us that we were a sensible and discreet people, but we lost all our sense and wits when we slipped out of your arms; however, we are now in another's arms again, and hope we will slip out no more. We remember and are returned to our former friendship, and hope it will always continue. In testimony whereof, we give you, our Uncle, a string of ten rows.'
"The Shawonese likewise at the same time sent a speech to the Six Nations, saying :
" 'Our Brethren, the English, have treated ns as people that had wit; the French deceived us; but we now turn our heads about and are looking perpetually to the country of the Six Nations and our brethren-the English-and desire you to make an apology for us.'
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HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
"And they gave eight strings of Wampum. The Delawares and Six Nations do, therefore, give up three strings to Onas, and recommend the Shawonese to him as a people who have seen their error, and are their and our very good friends." [Gave eight strings.]
On another occasion Neuchecouna, Kekenatcheky, Sonatzio- wanah, and Sequeheton, chiefs of the Shawonese, met the Dela- wares and the Indians of the Six Nations, and said :
"We, the Shawonese, have been misled, and have carried on a private correspondence with the French without letting you or our brethren, the English, know of it. We traveled secretly through the bushes to Canada, and the French promised us great things, but we find ourselves deceived. We are sorry that we had anything to do with them. We now find that we could not see, although the sun did shine. We earnestly desire you would intercede with our brethren-the English-for us who are left at Ohio, that we may be permitted to be restored to the chain of friendship and be looked upon as heretofore, the same flesh with them."'
"We let the President and Council of Philadelphia know that after the death of our chief man Olomipies, our grandehil- dren-the Shawonese-came to our own town to condole with us on the loss of our good King, your brother, and they wiped on our tears and comforted our minds, and as the Delawares are the same people with the Pennsylvanians, and born in one and the same country, we give some of the presents our grand- children gave us, to the President and Council of Philadelphia, because the death of their good friend and brother must have affected them as well as us."
At the conclusion of the speeches made by Shawanasson and Achamanataimu, chiefs of the Delawares, they gave a beaver coat and a string of wampum.
Wampum was Indian money, and its value is thus fixed by Samuel Weiser, a son of Conrad Weiser, in a report of his ex- penses made March 21, 1760 :
"To 667 grains of Wampum made in two strings of several rows, made use of with the Indians at Fort Augusta, at 55 per hundred. Cost, £1 13s. 9d."
At a meeting of the Council, held in Philadelphia, on De- cember 29, 1755, this subject was considered and it was agreed to enter the following statement on the minutes:
"All our accounts agree in this, that the French, since the defeat of General Braddock, have gained over to their interests the Delawares, Shawonese, and many other Indian Nations for- merly in our Alliance, and on whom, thro' fear and their large
63
.
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
promises of Rewards for Scalps and assurances of reinstating them in the Possession of the Lands they have sold to the Eng- lish, they have prevailed to take up arms against us and to join heartily with them in the execution of the ground they have been long meditating of obtaining, the possession of all the country between the River Ohio and the River Susquehannah."
It was the Delawares and Shawonese who had pledged their allegiance to the English two years before this, at the Council held at Carlisle, but now a portion of them occupying Johnstown were helping the French.
The opinion of Colonel Archibald Lochry, expressed in writing to Joseph Read, President of Council, is as follows :
"TWELVE MILE RUN, Westmoreland County, July 4, 1781.
"We have very distressing times Here this summer. The Enemy are almost constantly in our County Killing and Cap- tivating the Inhabitants. I see no way we can have of de- fending ourselves other than by offensive operations. General Clarke has requested our assistance to Enable him to carry an Expedition into the Indian Country. * The General's ob- jects are the Showneys, Delawares & Wiandotts Countrys in Order to bring them to a General Engagement and if Successful He makes no doubt of Reducing these three Nations."
It appears that in 1784 the southwestern portion of Pennsyl- vania was free from the marauding Indians, inasmuch as on the 14th of June, Christopher Hays, of Westmoreland county, wrote to John Dickinson, President of the State, as follows:
"Although the Indians have been very troublesome to the Inhabitants in the Kentucke neighborhood this spring, we have had the happiness to live in the most perfect peace and security as yet, as the northern Indians seem gradually disposed for peace & anxious for a treaty."
Mr. George Dallas Albert, in his research of Provincial his- tory, in the "Frontier Forts," says that the pronunciation of Conemaugh, as made by the Indians, was Quin-nim-maugh- Koong, or Can-ne-maugh, and signified Otter Creek. Also, that Stonycreek is the English for the Indian name, Sinnehanne, or Achsin-hanne; hanne signifies a stream of water. Sherman Day states that the first settlement of the Lenape Indians were the Assun-pink, or Stonycreek, Indians. Loyalhanna is corrupted from Laweel-hanne, meaning the middle stream; and Kittanning from Kit-hanne, or Gicht-hanne, which signifies the main stream in that region of the country.
64
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
It is a fact well known that Indians could not pronounce "r"; they could not say rum, but called it lum, and Quaker they called Quackel.
The following is a list of Cherokee names and their signifi- cance, prepared under date of June 21, 1758 :
Weyesong, or the Cold.
HIeneley, or the Common-on-Instrument to play with.
Hunnegurwisky, or the Bitter.
Sky Huga, or Travelar.
Nethsthouwewa, or Stricker.
Turturwiskey, or the Forsaken.
Necourraggua, or the Killer.
Kinnathshia, or the Company Keeper.
Keththakisky, or the Messengar.
Gugkonnosky, or the Drunker.
Hannechcha, or the Comer Inn.
Mr. Day records the fact that one summer day, when the children and women of the Shawonese and Delaware Tribes were together gathering fruit, a feud arose between them concerning the title to a large grasshopper caught by one child and claimed by another. This involved a question of boundary and territorial rights. When the warriors, who were at that time peaceably engaged together in a chase, returned, they took part with their respective women ; a sanguinary contest ensued, in which, after great slaughter, the Shawonese were defeated and were expelled from the valley.
The following is a specimen slightly transposed of the lan- guage used by the Seneca Indians :
THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Gwä-nee', che-de-oh' gä-o'-yă-geh, gă-sa-nuh' Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
ese' sä-nuk-tä' gä-oh ese' sne'-go-eh ne yä-weh' yo an-jä'-geh thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth
ha' ne-de-o'-deh gă-o'vä-geh. heaven. Forgive us our
Dun-da-gwä-e' wä-să-gwus
as it is in
ong-wa-yeh'-his-heh' debts as we
da-vä-ke'-a-wä-să-gwus-seh' forgive our ho-yeh'his. debtors.
Dä ge-oh' ne' na geh' wen-nis'-heh-deh e' na-hä-do-wen-nis'-heh- Give us this day our daily
65
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
geh o ä'-qua. Hä-sqnä'-ah e' să-no' ha wa-ate keh', na-gwä' bread. Lead us not into temptation, but
dä-gwä-vä-dan'-nake neʼ wä-ate-keh' na-seh'-eli nees'
deliver from
evil
for thine is
o-nuk'-tä na-kuh' na gä-hus-tes-heh, na-kuh' da-gä-ă-sā-uh'. the kingdom, and the
power and the glory.
Na-hnh'-ne-vā-weh.
Amen. 1
Joe Wipey, a friendly Delaware Indian, was cruelly mur- dered by two renegade white men -- John Hinekston and James Cooper-while he was sitting in his canoe fishing in the Cone- maugh river, near the mouth of Hinckston run, now in the Fourteenth ward of the city of Johnstown.
Wipey lived in a cabin a few miles west of Johnstown, making frequent visits to Solomon and Samuel Adams and other pioneer families in this vicinity. His wanton death cansed much consternation among the provincial people and the council offered a reward of five hundred pounds for the arrest of the two men. The murder occurred in May, 1774, when General Arthur St. Clair, then at Fort Ligonier, in- formed the governor, stating that it occurred "about eighteen miles from this place."
Another friendly Indian known as "Kicky Huston. " in this vicinity, had a wigwam on the hill known as "Kicky's Ridge," in Adams township. It is the first ridge on the westerly side of the summit of the Allegheny mountains on the Ashtola road, between which and the summit lays Horner's Dam. Kicky trapped beavers, and was a successful hunter for large game, such as deer and bear, keeping residents of Bedford supplied with that kind of food. Wipey and Kicky were the last of the Indian race in the southern part of Cambria county.
About 1778 a number of marauding Indians in and around Hart's Sleeping Place, near Carrolltown, and along the Kit- tanning trail, were aiding the British troops, who then had possession of Kittanning. A party from the Juniata valley led by John Weston, started to go to Kittanning to procure assistance for a pillaging expedition in the valley; however, a friendly Cayuga Indian chief, called Captain Logan, who lived at Chinklaclamoose, on the site of the town of Clearfield, gave warning to the colonists. Captain Vol. 1-5
66
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
Thomas Blair successfully led a party of colonists to inter- cept the movement, and on their return they encamped near the "Clearfields" for the night. In the morning two of the party-Moses Hicks and Mr. Gersham-went out to get game for food, when they were captured by the Indians, taken to De- troit, and held as prisoners by the British until the war was over.
CHAPTER V.
PIONEER SETTLERS-ADAMS FAMILY-PRINCE GALLITZIN-CAPTAIN MICIIAEL M'GUIRE-JOSEPH JOHNS-HE LAYS OUT THE VIL- LAGE OF CONEMAUGH.
The best proof that is now obtainable leads to the con- clusion that Samnel. Solomon, and Rachel Adams were the first white people to locate, improve and till the soil on land within the limits of Cambria county. It seems that the Adams family came from Berks county some time prior to 1774, and improved the Peter Snyder tract of land, which later became the Horner estate in the Seventh ward. The exact date cannot be fixed, but it was not prior to April 3, 1769, as, by the act of the provincial authorities, no white man was permitted to lo- cate on land which had been reserved by treaty with the Indians for their exclusive use; however, it was prior to 1771.
It will be observed that Charles Campbell took out a war- rant on April 3, 1769. It is probable that the Adamses did the same then, or soon thereafter; at least, the deeds show that in 1774 Peter Snyder took out a warrant for the "Solomon Adams Improvement" on "both sides of Solomon's Run" (in the' Seventh ward). The records do not show that Solomon Adams took out a warrant; but that he occupied it and made improvements on it there is no doubt.
During this period (1769-1774) the white man and the red man were in a war, which had practically been circumscribed to the territory between Bedford and Pittsburg, and especially in and around Bedford, Ligonier, and points between them. The near-by forts were at Bedford and Ligonier, and one was at Fort Palmer, a few miles south of Lockport and near Co- vodesville. When danger from the warlike Indian was appre- hended the Adamses would flee to one of these points.
In 1777 the Tull family, who resided on the mountains six miles west of Bedford, consisting of father, mother, nine daugh- ters, and a son, were massacred, excepting the son, who was absent. The hill is yet known as the Tull Hill on account of the terrible vengeance of the Indians on this occasion.
Sherman Day gives an account of the courageous action and death of Samuel Adams as follows:
68
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
"About December of the same year (1777) a number of families came into the fort (Bedford) from the neighborhood of Johnstown. Amongst them were Samuel Adams, a man named Thornton, and one Bridges. After their alarm had some- what subsided they agreed to return for their property. A party started with packhorses, reached the place (now Johns- town), and, not seeing any Indians, collected their property and commenced their return. After proceeding some distance (about four and a half miles) a dog belonging to one of the party showed signs of uneasiness and ran back. Bridges and Thornton desired the others to wait whilst they would go back for him, They went back, and proceeded but 200 or 300 yards, when a body of Indians, who had been lying in wait on each side of the way, but who had been afraid to fire on account of the numbers of whites, suddenly rose up and surrounded them and took them prisoners. The others, not knowing what de- tained their companions, went back after them. When they ar- rived near the spot the Indians fired on them, but without do- ing any injury. The whites instantly turned and fled, except- ing Samuel Adams, who took a tree and began to fight in the Indian style. In a few minutes, however, he was killed, but not without doing the same fearful service for his adversary. He and one of the Indians shot at and killed each other at the same moment.
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