USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 4
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
He did his best to redress their grievances, and sought to have them withdraw to their villages and away from those isolated localities, where he could have them more completely under his protection.
The Indians remaining were not content with an arrangement which pro- tected only the Senecas, nor were they willing to abandon their old and favo- rite haunts to which they had perfect right. Instead of growing less, the atrocities of the white bordermen became more frequent and more bold, and in 1774, another destructive war broke out, which threw the whole frontier into a state of tumultuous excitement. A false rumor, to give color of excuse to their acts, was set afloat by the whites that the Indians had stolen a number of horses from exploring parties on the Ohio and Kenhawa Rivers, and for the purpose of obtaining a position of defense against an expected attack by the Indians, the land-jobbers collected a force and stationed themselves at Wheel- ing, then commanded by Captain Cresap. Soon after this, Captain Cresap, with a party, intercepted two Indians and cruelly murdered them. The affair at Captina Creek, by Daniel Greathouse and his command, and only a short time after at Yellow Creek, by the same party, only served to increase the fury of the outraged natives. By these two assaults, the whole of Logan's family were murdered. Suddenly, a consternation pervaded the whole frontier. A foe, always quick to resent, and ever eager to shed the blood of the white man, was roused to a feeling of revenge which he would not be long in obtaining. The frontier was changed into a scene of war, the fields of the husbandman were destroyed, the cabins of the villagers were burned and his property de- stroyed, incautious settlers were overtaken and killed. Messengers were dis- patched to the military posts calling for aid, and General Lewis and Lord Dunmore were sent to relieve the whites. General Lewis reached Point Pleas- ant after a tedious march of nineteen days, but Lord Dunmore had not yet appeared. On the morning of the next day the Indians made a furious attack against the white force, which, with varying results, was kept up till night, when the savages withdrew across the Ohio. The loss to the whites was reported as seventy-five killed and one hundred and forty wounded, while the Indians suf- fered a greater loss. The latter were commanded by the celebrated Shawnee chief, Cornstalk.
After the battle the Indians called a council and made peace with the white commander. Meanwhile, Lord Dunmore was approaching, when he received other messengers from the Indians asking for peace, which was granted. It was on this occasion that the celebrated chief, Logan, made a speech to Lord Dunmore which made him famous. He said: "I appeal to any white man to say, if he ever entered Logan's cabin hungry and he gave him no meat; if ever he came cold and naked and he clothed him not. Dur- ing the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was his love for the whites, that his countrymen
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THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
pointed as they passed, and said : 'Logan is the friend of the white men.' I had even thought to have lived with you but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not even sparing my children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it. I have killed many. I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country I rejoice at the beams of peace, but do not harbor a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan ? Not one."
It will be remembered that Logan was a Six Nations chief, whose father Shikelimo, was a resident chief sent by the Six Nations to live among the Delawares. He named his son Logan, after James Logan, a conspicuous per- sonage in the province. During the French and Indian war, Logan acted only as peacemaker. After the close of the Cresap war he became morose and drank heavily. He made a mistake in saying that Cresap murdered his family ; the party under Greathouse committed that offense. While on a journey from Detroit to Miami, several years after this, Logan was murdered.
CHAPTER V.
THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
The Revolutionary War - Action of the Crown - The Colonies Determined - The Out- break - The Indians Hostile - Six Nations Divided - Depredations - Defenses - Struggles - Close of the War.
T HE active part taken by the English government in bringing into subjec- tion the disturbing factions among the struggling American colonies during and subsequent to the French and Indian war, had involved the mother country in a debt of considerable magnitude, and in order to somewhat lighten the burden, she looked toward the country in whose interest she had so zeal- ously contributed both of men and means.
The first move toward the accomplishment of this purpose, was the passage of an act of parliament in the year 1767, which laid a duty on specified com- modities imported into the colonies. This, with other acts oppressive in their nature, found serious opposition on this side of the broad Atlantic, and an organized and determined resistance was resolved upon. The British ministry were soon made conscious of their error and offered a reduction of five-sixths of the duty imposed by the act of 1767, hoping, by this move, to restore tran- 6
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
quillity among the colonies, and in 1770 all duties were removed except one of three pence per pound on teas. Even this had not the desired effect, and the opposition to importations was as determined as ever. The Philadelphia merchants, as well as those of Boston and other ports, all signed the non-im- portation resolutions, and refused to receive this commodity into their store- houses, which act of refusal was looked upon as treasonable, and the king was requested to cause all offenders to be arrested and brought to England for trial and punishment.
So strictly indeed, had the resolutions of the colonial merchants been ad- hered to, that in 1773 over fifteen millions of pounds of tea were accumulated on the hands of the East India Tea Company. As a special relief measure, parliament then offered to allow this article to be shipped to any part of the world, duty free. Feeling that this action would pass their teas into the proper channels in America, the company immediately freighted several ships for the various ports of the colonies, but the people had interdicted and resolved against it.
At Philadelphia the pilots refused to conduct the vessels into port, whereat the owners deemed it unsafe to discharge their cargoes, but had them returned to England. At the port of New York a like result was had. At Boston, as soon as the ships entered the harbor, the colonists, disguised as Indians, rushed on board and dumped the cargoes into the bay. This led to further compli- cations. Parliament commanded and the colonies refused. The crown with- drew the civil authority vested in the several provinces, and the inhabitants organized to suit themselves, independent of Great Britain. The leading citi- zens of the province of Pennsylvania were called together to consult upon the situation, and resolved to endeavor to establish harmony on a constitutional foundation.
Pursuant to an agreement of the several provinces, a colonial congress met at Carpenters' Hall, in the city of Philadelphia, for the purpose of discussing the events of the day, and fixing upon future policy.
The declaration of rights was first agreed upon, and then followed a recital of the wrongs perpetrated by the crown upon the colonists. Upon receiving the news of this convention, both houses of parliament declared to the king " that they find that a rebellion actually exists in the province of Massachu- setts," whereupon that province was excluded from foreign trade, and for- bidden the usual fishery privileges. The same prohibition was soon after extended to five other of the provinces and the counties on the Delaware. A conciliatory course was then pursued by Great Britain, but without avail. In January, 1775, a provincial convention was held at Philadelphia, and continued in session for six days. During the progress of the convention the crisis had arrived. The arbitrary and oppressive acts of parliament were sought to be enforced at the point of the bayonet.
39
THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
On the 30th day of June, 1775, the committee of safety was appointed. The British and Americans, who had been in the closest friendship, and who, under the same banners had passed along the frontier in every part of the province, were now destined to seek each other's lives on the blood-stained battle-fields of the Revolution, in the great war for American independence, for American liberty.
As dangers and hostilities increased, the Johnsons showed themselves clearly in favor of the king. Sir William was greatly disturbed by the gather- ing storm of war, but would undoubtedly use his power in behalf of his royal master. He died suddenly in 1774. Much of his influence over the Six Na- tions descended to his son, Sir John Johnson, and his nephew, Colonel Guy Johnson, the latter becoming superintendent of Indian affairs. Through his influence with the Indians, the powerful Iroquois confederacy was broken, and the Six Nations tribes, except the Oneidas and Tuscaroras, served under the banners of the king; but it was nearly two years before they committed serious acts of hostility. The Senecas held off for a while, but the prospect of blood and British gold was too much for them to withstand, and in 1777 they, in common with the Cayugas, Onondagas, and Mohawks, made a treaty with the British at Oswego, agreeing to serve the king throughout the war. Mary Jemison, the white woman, then living among the Senecas, declared that after presents had been distributed among the Indians, the British agents promised a bounty on every scalp that should be brought in. The Oneidas remained neutral throughout the war.
The most active of the Iroquois chiefs during the Revolution was Joseph Brant, or Thayendenegea, of the Mohawks. The leading chiefs of the Senecas were "Farmer's Brother," "Cornplanter," and "Governor Blacksnake." They were of equal rank, and received their orders direct from the British officers. At the massacre at Wyoming, in 1778, the leader of the Senecas, who formed the main Indian force on that occasion, was Guiengwahtoh, supposed to be the same as Guiyahgwahdoh, " the smoke-bearer." That was the official title of the Seneca, afterward known as "Young King." He was too young to have been at Wyoming, but his predecessor in office (his maternal uncle), might have been there. Brant was certainly not present.
The Shawnese, during the first years of war, remained friendly, as well as many of the Delawares, but the tribes in general were influenced by the emis- saries of the Six Nation Indians on the frontier, and the still more potent factor -gold. The recognized leader among the Shawnese was Chief Cornstalk. He used his eloquence to induce the northern Indians to side with the colo- nists, but in vain. The inducements held out by the agents of the king were too strong, and the council decided to fight with the British.
In 1777, Cornstalk, in company with a friendly Delaware chief, named Red Hawk, came to Mount Pleasant and informed the garrison of the determi-
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
nation of the council. Captain Arbuckle thought prudent that both should be detained within the fort, which was done. Soon after, Ellinipsico, a son of Cornstalk, came to the place in search of his father. While the three were there, two soldiers who were hunting in the woods near the fort, were killed by Indian prowlers, whereupon the enraged whites murdered the three hos- tages and the interpreter. Thus died Cornstalk, Ellinipisco and Red Hawk at the hands of the people they had wished to serve.
This unprovoked and willful murder of the chiefs was afterward fearfully avenged by the blood of the whites. From this time forward the Shawnese became the most deadly enemy to the pioneers along the border.
Early in the spring of 1778, General McIntosh was directed to defend the western frontier. He strengthened Fort Pitt, and subsequently built Forts McIntosh and Laurens. While General McIntosh protected this part of the border from serious depredations, he could not, by any means, so distribute his forces as to protect the northern and northwestern boundaries of the province. An attack was hardly looked for from that quarter, and the scat- tered sections along the Susquehanna were wholly unprotected. In July of that same year, a large body of Senecas, Tories, and a detachment of regulars descended the Susquehanna and attacked the village settlements at Wyoming. The attacking party numbered about two hundred British provincials, under command of Major Butler ; about two hundred Tories under Sir John Johnson, and five hundred Indians, chiefly Senecas, led by the famous Guiengwahtoh. When they reached the mouth of Bowman's Creek, they waited the coming of another party that had been sent to devastate the West Branch valley, from the mouth of the Sinnamahoning. After the arrival of the second party, the whole force of invaders reached nearly twelve hundred. They passed down the Susquehanna in boats until about fifteen miles from Wyoming, when they traveled the remaining distance by land.
The force in defense of the settlement, numbering about three hundred, were gathered in Fort Forty, as the most available for the occasion. Colonel Zebulon Butler, with the assistance of Major Garrett and Colonel Dennison, commanded the defensive force. On the 3d of July they marched out to meet the enemy, and after a fierce battle of several hours' duration, the brave defenders were overpowered and cut to pieces without mercy by the infuriated Senecas. About two-thirds of those who went into the fight were slain. The survivors mainly found refuge in Wilkes-Barre Fort, and a few in Fort Forty. Terms of capitulation were then agreed upon, that the lives of the survivors and the women and children should be spared, and no property destroyed. In dis- regard of the latter part, the Indians destroyed the crops, plundered the dwell- ings and burned them.
At Cherry Valley, the same year, the Senecas were present in force, together with a body of Mohawks under Brant, and of Tories under Captain
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THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
Walter Butler, son of Colonel John Butler, and there was another battle sim- ilar to Wyoming.
These events, and others on a smaller scale, induced Congress and General Washington to set on foot an expedition in the spring of 1779. We refer to the celebrated expedition of General Sullivan against the Senecas and other marauding Indians in the vicinity in which these disasters occurred. Sullivan marched up the Susquehanna to Tioga Point, where he was joined by a brig- ade under General James Clinton (father of DeWitt Clinton). Sullivan, with a total force of some four thousand men, moved up the Chemung to Newtown (Elmira). There Colonel Butler, with a strong force of Indians and Tories, estimated at from one thousand to fifteen hundred men, had thrown up in- trenchments, and a battle was fought. Butler was speedily defeated, retired with considerable loss, and made no further opposition. Sullivan advanced and destroyed all the Indian villages on the Genesee, burning wigwams and cabins, cutting down growing corn, and utterly devastating their whole coun- try. The Senecas fled in dismay to Fort Niagara. The Onondaga villages had in the mean time been destroyed by another force, but it is plain that the Senecas were the ones who were chiefly feared, and against whom the ven- geance of the Americans was chiefly directed. After thoroughly laying waste the whole Indian country, the Americans returned to the east.
Sullivan's expedition substantially destroyed the league which bound the Six Nations together. Its form remained, but it had lost its binding power. The Oneidas and Tuscaroras were encouraged to increase their separation from the other confederates. Those tribes whose possessions had been destroyed were thrown into more complete subservience to the British power, thereby weakening their inter-tribal relations, and the spirits of the Senecas, the most powerful and warlike of them all, were much broken by this disaster.
It was a much more serious matter than had been the destruction of their villages in earlier times, as they had adopted a more substantial mode of exist- ence. They had learned to depend more on agriculture and less on the chase, and possessed not only corn-fields, but gardens, orchards, and sometimes com- fortable houses. In fact they had adopted many of the customs of civilized life, though without relinquishing their primitive pleasures, such as tomahawk- ing and scalping prisoners. They fled en masse to Fort Niagara, and during the winter of 1779-80, which was of unusual severity, were scantily sustained by rations which the British authorities with difficulty procured. As spring approached, the English made every effort to reduce the expense by persuad- ing the Indians to make new settlements and plant crops. The red men were naturally anxious to keep as far as possible from the dreaded foe who had inflicted such terrible punishment upon them the year before, and were unwill- ing to risk their families again at their ancient seats.
Having now disposed of the most dangerous foes of the north and north-
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
west frontiers of the province, let us look back and observe what, in the mean time, was transpiring elsewhere among the savages.
In the fore part of the year 1778 a plan was organized to concentrate a large force of Indians and Tories at Kittanning, then cross the mountain by Indian paths and at Burgoon's Gap divide; one party to march through the Cove and Conococheague Valleys, the other to follow the Juniata Valley and . form a junction at Lancaster, killing all the inhabitants on their march. Al- though this offensive plan was partially carried out, it failed in the main pur- pose. Dissensions arose, and a leader of the Tories was killed by an Indian. The country became aroused, and the people flocked to arms. Some of the invaders were shot, others captured, and the balance driven out of the country.
To guard against like incursions in future, numerous small parties were stationed at convenient points along the frontier. Soon after Colonel Brod- head, with a considerable force under his command, swept the country on the. Allegheny and upper West Branch and thoroughly cleared the borders of all plundering and murdering savages. The presence of his command had a sal- utary effect upon the Indians, and the inhabitants of the West Branch and Penn's Valley returned to their homes and gathered such of their crops as were not destroyed.
The great achievement of General Wayne at Stony Point, turned the tide of the Revolution in favor of the Americans. Their drooping hopes were re- vived, while the British and Tories were correspondingly disheartened. From that time forward the life of British supremacy in America hung upon a hair, and that slender cord was broken by the surrender of Cornwallis in the month of October, 1781.
In the fall of 1783 peace was formally declared between Great Britain and the revolted colonies, and, by that declaration, those colonies were henceforth to be acknowledged by all men as the United States of America, a free and independent nation.
In the articles of peace agreed upon between the British and American authorities, no provision whatever was made for the Indian allies who had so faithfully served their master. The English authorities afterward offered them land in Canada, but all, except the Mohawks, preferred their accustomed localities.
The United States, however, treated them with great moderation, and al- though the Iroquois had twice broken their pledges, and had plunged into war against the colonies, they were readily admitted to the benefits of peace, and were even acknowledged as having some rights to the territory not already sold to the provinces by virtue of the several treaties previously made.
In the month of October, 1784, a treaty was made between three commis- sioners of the United States, and the sachems of the Six Nations.
The several treaties made with the Indians for the extinguishment of their titles to lands in Pennsylvania, we shall discuss at length in the next chapter.
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EARLY LAND OPERATIONS.
CHAPTER VI.
EARLY LAND OPERATIONS.
Land Titles - Penn's Charter - Naming the Province - Treaties with Indians - Acquisition of Lands to the Proprietaries -- Boundaries - The Divesting Act - Surveys - Owners - The Holland Land Company.
T "HE lands in the province of Pennsylvania were granted to William Penn by royal charter from Charles II, king of Great Britain, on the 4th day of March, A. D. 1681. Admiral William Penn, father of the grantee, died having a claim against the English government of sixteen thousand pounds, on account of money loaned and arrearages of pay. His son, William, pre- sented a petition to the crown that, in lieu of such indebtedness, he would be content with a grant of a tract of land in America, which tract he fully de- scribed in his petition. After having consulted with the proprietaries of other provinces adjoining the lands applied for, the king ordered the charter, and the territory embraced by it was called Pennsylvania.
It has been commonly supposed that Pennsylvania was so named by the proprietary in honor of himself, but such is not the case, as the following ex- tract from a letter addressed by William Penn to Robert Turner, will fully show : "I choze New Wales, being, as this is, a pretty hilly country ; but Penn, being Welsh for a head, as Penmanmoire, in Wales, and Penrith, in Cumberland, and Penn, in Buckinghamshire, the highest land in England, called this Pennsylvania, which is the high or head woodlands ; for I proposed, when the Secretary, a Welshman, refused to have it called New Wales, Sylva- nia, and they added Penn to it, and though I much opposed it, and went to the king to have it struck out and altered, he said it was passed, and would not take it upon him; nor could twenty guineas move the under secretary to vary the name, for I feared lest it should be looked upon as a vanity in me, and not as a respect in the king, as it truly was, to my Father, whom he often men- tioned with praise."
The charter in its terms vested full and absolute ownership, and possession of the province in William Penn, and empowered and authorized him to gov- ern the same, make such laws and regulations for the conduct of its affairs and people, as should be just, and not inconsistent with the laws of Great Britain.
After coming into possession of this vast estate Penn sold large tracts to persons in London, Liverpool, and Bristol. He appointed William Markham as deputy governor, and sent him to the province with commissioners to treat with the Indians, arrange a peace with them, and purchase their title to the lands.
Markham arrived in the province in the summer of 1681, in one of three
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
ships arriving at that time with passengers and commodities. On the second day of April following the charter, the king issued a proclamation to the in- habitants of the province, informing them of the grant, and of the powers and authority vested in Penn, and calling upon them to obey any and all such laws and regulations as the proprietary should order.
So far from being a source of great profit to Penn the management of the affairs of the province soon involved him in a large indebtedness, and he was compelled to borrow six thousand six hundred pounds, and encumber the lands as security for its payment. At a later period he negotiated a sale of the entire province to Queen Anne, for the sum of twelve thousand pounds, and a part of the purchase price was paid, but for some reason the transfer was never made.
The first step on the part of the proprietary, or his deputies, on coming into actual possession of the province, was to negotiate with the Indians for the release of their claim to the lands. This was done by numerous treaties and conferences, from time to time, the larger tracts being acquired usually after some dissension or war, but this assertion relates only to the larger purchases or the time of their consummation. In stating the facts concerning these trans- actions with the Indians, only the occasions on which sales of considerable magnitude were made will be noticed, lesser ones being of no great moment, and not necessary in this chapter.
The first purchase from the Indians was made by Deputy William Mark- ham and the commissioners, by a deed executed by the chiefs, or shackmakers, of the several tribes having or claiming an interest in the lands lying in what is now Bucks county, in the extreme east part of the province. Authorities so materially differ in spelling the names of the shackmakers who executed this instrument, that they are omitted. The consideration paid for the land was mainly in goods and merchandise, as follows : " Three hundred and fifty fath- oms of wampum, twenty white blankets, twenty fathoms of strawd waters, sixty fathoms of Duffields, twenty kettles, whereof four are large, twenty guns, twenty coats, forty shirts, forty pairs of stockings, forty hoes, forty axes, two barrels of powder, two hundred bars of lead, two hundred knives, two hundred small glasses, twelve pairs of shoes, forty copper boxes, forty tobacco tongs, two small barrels of pipes, forty pairs of scissors, forty combs, twenty-four pounds of red lead, one hundred awls, two handfulls of fish-hooks, two hand- fulls of needles, forty pounds of shot, ten bundles of beads, ten small saws, twelve drawing-knives, four anchers of tobacco, two anchers of rum, two anchers of cider, two anchers of beer, and three hundred gilders (money)."
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