USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Columbia County Historical Society and Commissioners of Columbia County. [2d ed.] > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Indian Warfare Continues
There had been much devastation on the frontier farms but there were still crops remaining to be harvested. In spite of dangers settlers endeavored to return and salvage what they could of crops and cattle and rebuild their homes. With the widespread destruction of crops there was also grave danger of famine. Near famine conditions are recorded for families near modern Light Street and Espy.
Indian War Parties a Threat
Roving bands of Indians were a constant menace. Patrols were sent out from Fort Augusta, but the country was too wild and the area too great for the patrols to be effective. Tories acquainted with the region were often the guides. The Peter Melick family fled from their home in September of this year, taking refuge at Fort Wheeler. Their house was burned. In plundering this house before setting fire to it, a feather bed tick was tied to a pony, also stolen. The pony became frightened, escaped from his captors, and ran to the fort, thus restoring the prized tick to its rightful owners. Wyoming was again under threat that autumn. In November a roving band of seventy Indians was seen advancing toward Chillisquaque. Later in the same month a band was seen between Fort Jenkins and Wyoming.
Continuation of Frontier Warfare
1779
In April, 1779, "two or three" families were taken prisoner near Fort Jenkins. A rescuing force was sent out and the prisoners were recovered after a sharp battle with the Indians but only with the loss of three soldiers killed and four wounded. Several houses were burned and several horses taken. Fort Freeland was attacked the next day, probably by the same band.
A few weeks later in May, across the river from Fort Jenkins but concealed from it by a heavily wooded island, a family of six lived. Two children had been sent to Catawissa for supplies. They thus escaped when a band of Indians killed and scalped all the rest of the family and burned the house.
A General Frontier Plan 1778-9
1. Helped by George Rogers Clark's victories in Ohio-Illinois Country 1778-9
2. East: Sullivan's advance up Susquehanna Valley against Seneca-Iroquois
3. Western Pennsylvania: Brodhead's expedition up Allegheny River also devastated Seneca Country
Sullivan's Expedition
In July news of an expedition into the Indian Country must have been carried to the frontier. A little later a flotilla of 134 boats, heavily laden with provisions and military supplies was dragged and polod up the river past the settlement in our area.
.
1
1
·
1
-
L
y
5
1.
:
٠٨٦
٢
٢
- 15 -
A strong expedition was being gathered at Wilkes-Barre. Men and supplies also arrived over the mountains from Easton. This was the expedition. ordered by General Washington and placed under General Sullivan.
While this force was gathering, Fort Freeland was attacked. It is thought that this was in order to turn the Wilkes-Barre force away from attack up the river. After several men of the garrison Fort Freeland had been killed, the remaining twenty-one men were captured. The women and children were allowed to go free to Sunbury. The mother Destroyed of one sixteen year old boy, as yet unboarded, hastily clothed him in a woman's clothes. He thus escaped also. Shortly after the capture of the fort, a relieving force of men coming to the rescue was suprised, half of them killed and the rest added to the number of prisoners.
General Sullivan, was not to be turned aside. With an overwhelming force he advanced up the North Branch and then on into the Seneca country. He carefully avoided being ambushed. The Indians aided by Tories and British wore attacked near Wellsburg, N. Y., and soundly beaten.
Battle of Newtown August 29, 1779
Then the expedition advanced to the Indian villages, in the Seneca country. These had been deserted. These villages were made up of well constructed houses and barns, fine fields and orchards, remarkably rich and productive. Buildings were burned, crops were destroyed, orchards were cut down. The destruction was Iroquois Seneca Country complete. The survivors were compelled to flee to the British at Fort Niagara. The power of the Six Nations was destroyed, although this was not immediately evident. On the return trip there Devastated were some skirmishes and some small losses. The expedition was back in Wilkes-Barre early in October.
Limited Success
Sullivan's expedition, although highly successful, did not immediately end the pattern of Indian attacks: the stealthy attack on isolated families; killings and scalpings; burning of buildings; destruction of crops. The Indians were seeking revenge, and also bounties for the scalps that they could bring in. Frontier Difficulties
Let us review the difficulties of frontier war. Settlers cabins were far apart. Settlers themselves were rash in going into the unprotected frontier but we must remember that in most cases such cabins were their only homes and that the pioneers had already invested hard work and savings in their location. They felt that they must work their fields or face famine. They were slow to seek protection of the forts, forts which were inadequate at the best. The troops could not patrol the widely extended frontier. Often they would arrive at a threatened location only to see the burning embers of a one-time habitation, and bury the mutilated bodies of the victims. The troops were too few. Many of them were short term militia without sufficient training. Sentinels, guards, and scouts were neglected or inadequate. Soldiers' Pay
The pay of the soldiers, whether in tho militia or regular Continental troops was poor in comparison with the earning of craftsmen making guns or other needed equipment. It was poor also in comparison with the prices which could be obtained by farmers
.
٢٠
1
مهـ
.
1
٣
1
1
0
:
1
U
1
1
1
.
م
1
- 16 -
and others for needed supplies. This was especially true when such supplies were sold to the British armies for gold in comparison with the almost worthless Continental money. 12
Pennsylvania's Burdens
Moreover, Pennsylvania had special difficulties greater than those of many of the other States. The capital of the country was in Pennsylvania, either at Philadelphia or, when it was occupied by the British, at one of our other cities. Both the British and the American armies were in Pennsylvania for much of the time. As the war progressed, the Americans came to have growing numbers of prisoners of war to care for. In various ways, all these circumstances placed heavy burdens on the Pennsylvania government.
Pennsylvania Factions
In Pennsylvania there was danger from the Tories, as we have seen. In some ways this fact made our War for Independence resemble a civil war. This was true in all the States. On account of this bitterness, the Quakers were open to suspicion as being Tories. They were molested by Indians less frequently, or not at all. Was this because they were not on the frontier, and therefore were indifferent to the outrages suffered by the pioneers? The Scotch-Irish, as we have seen, were bitter against the Quakers on account of these alleged reasons. None of these suggested reasons was completely true but there was undoubtedly some degree of truth in all of them. But many believed them true and this explains the difficulties in securing full cooperation among the people.13
The hostile feelings between the Yankees and the Pennamites had by no means ended. This made full cooperation difficult.14 It is probably true that certain persons interested in securing land from Pennsylvania were willing to have the Connecticut settlement destroyed, even if it should by means of the cruel Indians. President Reed of the Pennsylvania government ordered that supplies going up the river for the Wyoming region should be stopped at Sunbury. He was over- ruled. So great did this friction become that Congress ordered that the Wyoming garrison should be made up of troops from outside of the State. When German troops were used, they seemed unwilling to leave the forts. Scouting was left to militia and volunteers. Frontier Dangers
In 1780, one of the darkest periods of the whole war, Indian attacks were renewed. As previously they came from the New York region in large parties. When they reached the tributary waters of the Susquehanna, they broke into smaller parties to attack the isolated settlements. Early this year Salmon was held prisoner, to be released a year later.
12Militia soldiers were under urgent need to get back home to protect their families and get in their crops to prevent famine. Is it any wonder that it was difficult to keep the ranks of the armed forces fully enrolled?
13Recall Lazarus Stewart and his defiant conduct. The Quaker population seems never to have left Catawissa during the entire period of the Revolution. However, we recall that the Eves family fled. Also, the John family, up Catawissa Creek, although Quakers, had to flee on two occasions.
14Why did Captain Clingaman, although asked on the day of the battle,
1780
٣
-
·
[
١
€
.....
- 17 -
This same party of Indians, it seems, killed a family of two or more at the foot of Knob Mountain. In March, the Whitmoyer family was murdered near modern Jerseytown. Only a son, absent at a sugar camp escaped.
Van Campen Family
The men of the Van Campen family, late in March ventured to return to their burnt homesite and resume their life there. They were surprised by a raiding party of Indians on the thirtieth. Tomahawk, knife, and spear quickly snuffed out the lives of father and one son. Moses, who was with them, barely escaped the same fate. This was because the Indians were able to over-power him and take him prisoner. A younger brother, and a man named Pence were also taken prisoner. On their return trip, a sugar camp was attacked in the Huntington region, but the four men there defended themselves in their cabin, so the Indians passed on. At the headwaters of the Hunlock, they captured Abraham Pike, but let his wife and child go free. The Indians had now accumulated as prisoners, three men end two boys, a Rogers boy having been taken prisoner previous to the Van Campen attack. As they journeyed northward, Van Campen feared that they were destined for torture and death. Opportunity for conversation was offered when they were collecting firewood for their captors. At such times Van Campen persuaded his companions to try to kill their captors and escape. The attempt was made near the mouth of the Tunkhannock Creek. Using a knife inadvertantly dropped by an Indian, the prisoners in turn were able to cut each other's bonds at night when the captors were asleep. Guns and tomahawks were used to kill nine of the ten captors. A tenth engaged Van Campen in a desparate struggle in which the Indian was badly wounded, but was able to escape. A raft was built as soon as it was dawn and loaded with the three men, two boys, and much of the plunder which the Indians had gathered. Their raft gave way and they saved little else but themselves and the guns. They were able to seize another raft from a party of Indians who had left it unguarded while they were hunting. With this they made their way to Wyoming and eventually to Fort Jenkins.
Fort Jenkins Destroyed
In September, Fort Rice on the Chillisquaque was attacked by a party of 300 or more Tories and Indians. It was beaten off. A relieving force from Sunbury pursued the Indians through the Fishing Creek valleys and up Huntington creek, where the invaders divided into small parties and made their escape. One band went around Knob Mountain and then across country. They burned the Aikman house at Cabin Run and continued to Fort Jenkins. This fort had been abandoned by its garrison to go to the relief of Fort Rice. The fort and the neighboring houses and other buildings were burned.
Sugarloaf Massacre
The attackers left hurriedly. It is thought that this was because they heard of an advancing company of American soldiers in the Nescopeck valley. This American force had been sent to investigate reports of a Tory Settlement in Scotch Valley.
to send help from Fort Jenkins, fail to try? By the time the request came, it was too late. Was it also on account of the Yankee-Pennamite friction? Was it because he felt he had too few soldiers to guard his own fort?
-
4
i
T
٠٫٠
٩
1
. .
1
1
.
- 19 -
6. Who were the first settlers of our region. Tell the interesting facts about them.
7. Give a summary account of the War of the Revolution in our North Branch area, yeer by year.
8. Considering the adventures of Moses Van Campen: Are they representative of 8 frontier Revolutionary soldier?
9. Why was the frontier warfare in Pennsylvania especially difficult?
10. Indians in Revolution: Were they friendly? hostile? neutrel? some of one and some of another attitude end conduct? Explein.
INTERESTING THINGS TO DO AND INVESTIGATE
1. Using the time chart on this page, make it larger and more complete with more items to be included, pattern after no. 8 of Interesting Things To Do, Chap. I, p. 8.
. Can you form some idea of the profits and risks of the land speculator. Have there been land rushes at other places and other times in our country's history? . Construct a model or drawing of the probable appearance of a frontier fort of our region. (Reference, Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, one of the text books on Pennsylvania History.)
Pe Compare the Pine Creek Declaration of Independence with the Nation's Declara- tion of Independence. Is it probable that these declarations reflected the views of our settlers? (Reference, Meginness, Otzinachson.)
Ap Distinguish different kinds of Revolutionary soldiers: militia, rangers, continental troops.
, Is a student able to bring to class an old deed going back to the times of the Penn's. Other old documents are also possible for displays: maps of original surveys, first patents. Some help may be secured at the County Historical Society or at the public library.
7. Further information about some of the great land speculators would increase your knowledge of one part of local and national history: Robert Morris, James Wilson, Reuben Haines, the Shippens, Samuel Wallis.
8. To what extent were Tories active in our region.
9. Full accounts of Moses VenCampen's life have been written. Such accounts make very interesting reading.
10. Detail accounts of the early settlements in the townships and borough are to be found in two standard works. Students may wish to read further about their own regions. Battle, History of Columbia and Montour Counties; Beers, History of Columbia and Montour Counties, 2 vols. (Hereafter these will be referred to as Battle's History and Beers' History.) Each has sections devoted to general accounts and to biographies of important persons of each district.
Items to identify: Great Runaway, Hartley expedition, Sullivan expedition, Huntington, Yankee, Pennamite, forty-first parallel, Jacob's staff, Sunbury, John Eves, Scotch-Irish, Pennsylvania German
Map study: certain rivers and their tributaries; North and West Branches of the Susquehanna and the Mohawk river of New York. Note how close three main valleys come to each other. Where was the Iroquois country? The Wyoming Valley and Wilkes-Barre?
Locate the frontier forts in our region from the West Branch to the North Branch, including Fort Augusta.
CHECK YOUR VOCABULARY: survey, frontier, speculator, a blaze (not a flame) "Monthly Meeting" of Quakers, stockade, faction, quit rent, land spotter, deed, patent, warrant, non-combatant, requisition, devastation, salvage, flotilla
TIME CHART FOR CHAPTER II
Declaration of Independence Img Wyoming Massacre
1781 His Surrender
1786 Owensburg
laid out.
1775
1
- Cornwa
¥ 1783
-
&American Revolution
1763 end Frenchy. Indian war -. 1764 Pontiac's War
1768 New Purchase"
1772 Settlements
Roberts, Eres, Mclure
-
: د
٣
٢
م.
٠٠
٢٠
١٠
م
.
PIONEER SETTLEMENTS IN THE "NEW PURCHASE" Chapter III
Obstructions to Settlements Removed
We recall that migration to the lands of the "New Purchase" probably never stopped completely during the entire years of the Revolution. When peace with Great Britain finally came in 1783, this migration increased to very large amounts. It resembled the surging waters of a broken dam. In this case, the dam which had obstructed the migration had been the war. The fear of Tory and Indian attacks, actually carried out in many cases in our region, held back would-be settlers. Moreover, England had tried to prevent expansion into the western lands. This, in fact, had been one of the causes of the Revolution.
When these obstructions were removed, lands occupied before the war were reoccupied. New settlements were pushed farther and farther into the unoccupied lands up and down the whole American frontier. From now on lands of the "New Purchase" in Pennsylvania rapidly filled up.
Travel Route: River Route from Harrisburg to Sunbury up the North Branch There were certain main groups of settlers who came by certain routes of travel. It will be helpful to learn about these groups and their routes. Several groups of settlers came generally from the south-east, from the vicinity of Philadelphia, Reading, and Lancaster. As far as Harrisburg, they could journey through country well advanced in settlement with passable roads. From Harrisburg to Sunbury the Indian trails along the river had been improved to provide for growing traffic, especially during the last two wars, the French and Indian, and the Revolution. These roadways had also been improved to some extent as far as Loyalsock and Lycoming Creeks on the West Branch, and on the North Branch, past Fishing and Nescopeck Greeks, to Wyoming. North Branch Bottom Lands occupied early from Sunbury
Before the Revolution, as we have already learned, Germans, Scotch-Irish, and Quakers had made settlements along the river. They had probably come from Sunbury and Harrisburg, either by boat or by land. These lands to which they came were a belt of flat lands a mile or so, often less, from the river bank to the line of hills. They are called bottom lands. ifore accurately they are flood plains, built up by the deposit of river sediments during floods from ages past. At places they were swampy, as seems to have been the case near the mouth of Fishing Creek and on up the river. Malaria was known to be prevalent in such regions. It was attributed to the damp air, Miasmas, rather than mosquitoes as we know now. Furthermore, swampy lands could not be cultivated until drained. At other places they might be very sandy and stony. For the most part these alluvial flood plains were made up of rich, deep soils. These lands were the first surveyed and usually the first to be occupied.
7
- 2 -
Ch. III
Such alluvial flood plains are to be found at other places along the river and up the various tributary streams: some distance below Catawissa on both sides of the river, at Light Street, above Orangeville, at Benton, Central, at Millville and Iola, at Mainville, Slabtown, at Mifflinville, and at other places also. Usually such lands were highly desired.
Travel Route: West Branch - Chillisquaque - Warrior Run Route to Little Fishing Creek
As we already know, Quakers were among the earliest of settlers. John Eves, in his various journeys and also flight from Indian danger at the time of the Great Runaway had used the West Branch route. Coming up from Sunbury, which was probably reached overland, a fairly well-traveled route led up this branch beyond Montour Ridge. Here a broad valley opens up, watered by several streams. Eves followed up the valley of the Chillisquaque Creek to its headwaters. Here one can reach the region of Millville by crossing some low hills or Little Fishing Creek could be reached readily through Spruce run.
Valley Lands: Greenwood Valley
Once in the valley of Little Fishing Creek, another broad valley opens up. It is almost a continuation of the valley of the Chillisquaque and Warrior Run. This is the Greenwood valley. It is composed of gentle slopes, with much of the land almost level. Being higher than the flood plains, the soils are derived from the decay through long ages of the underlying rock. The soils have made fine farming lands. Quakers following John Eves, using largely his route for their journeys, were the settlers who mainly built up this valley.
Extension to the North Branch
Before taking up another section of the region, it is convenient to notice that at the east, through gaps in the hills, access could be had to Big Fishing Creek at the foot of Knob Mountain. From this point Indian trails and later travel routes led farther along either side of the mountain. North of Lee Mountain, through Shickshinny gap the North Branch was reached. From here one could then proceed to Wyoming. To the south another route led to the headwaters of the Briar Creek and to the North Branch opposite the Nescopeck Crnek. These interconnecting valleys were much used by Indians and whites in travelling between the North and West Branches.
Quakers at Catawissa and Roaring Creek: North Branch Route
The second large settlement of Quakers was at Catawissa and nearby regions. We have already told about Moses Roberts and Ellis Hughes; and also the Johns near modern Mainville.
It seems that the Quakers of the Catawissa region never left during the troubled years of the Revolution. Shortly after the Revolution- 1787, Hughes laid out a town in building lots and persuaded other Friends to buy and settle there. The town was first named Hughesburg, but the name was changed later to Catawissa.
.
-
٦
r
5
1
٩
.1
L
1
Ch. III
- 3 -
Roaring Creek Valley
These Quakers journeyed up the river from Harrisburg, either by boat or by the riverside roads. Others following the same route, did not stop at Catawissa, but turned southwards over a mild elevation where a valley, somewhat similar to the Greenwood Valley opens up. It was, and is, similar in soils and in its up- land fields of gently rolling or level land. But where the Greenwood valley had easy access at both the east and west end, the Roaring Creek valley was rimmed at north, east, and south, by a mountain formation in the shape of a horseshoe. At the north, it is Catawissa Mountain, which as it continues to the east bends southward to join Little Mountain which forms the southern part of the horseshoe. Although Catawissa Mountain comes to an abrupt end, the northern line of the "horseshoe" is continued by a range of steep hills. At the western and open end of the "horseshoe" access could also be obtained from the region of modern Danville, and at the southwest, at a break in Little Mountain, Bear Gap.
Quakers Come Early to Roaring Creek Valley
This Roaring Creek Valley, seemingly less accessible than many other parts of the county, was, however, one of the first to be settled. Records point to settlements there before the Revolution. Both at Catawissa and in Roaring Creek valley Quakers continued to arrive in the 1780's and 1790's. Their meeting houses, the one at Catawissa built probably shortly after the Revolution, and the one in Roaring Creek in 1796, were probably the first religious buildings in the county, and the oldest ones still standing. Both are log structures.
Quakers Move Away from Catawissa - Roaring Creek
But the Quakers in the Catawissa and Roaring Creek regions did not stay long. Apparently prospering through the 1780's and 1790's, shortly after 1800 most of them sold their holdings, and left for Ohio or sections of Canada north of Lake Erie. As has often been the case with pioneers, these Quakers probably thought they could gain advantage by selling their improved land and taking up cheap land farther west on the developing frontier.
There are many persons in our county today who trace their ancestry from the Millville and Greenwood. Quakers. Only a few families of the Catawissa and Roaring Creek settlers have left descendants in our region.
Pennsylvania Germans - Overland Route
Although some Germans seem to have been among the earliest settlers, the larger number came after the Quakers. In some cases the Quaker holdings were bought, in others, the Germans came as pioneers. The Germans, at first came across the mountainous country to Sunbury. The Indians had a well developed path, the Tulpehocken trail, which avoided some of the mountains by making use of gaps. Later, a way was developed to Bear Gap. The Germans spread through the Roaring Creek valley so that it became predominantly a region of Pennsylvania German people.
¢
٨ ٠
هـ
:
2
Т
L
1
- 4 -
Ch. III
Settlements Opposite the Nescopeck Creek - Overland Route from the East Evan Owen, after giving up his first plans of a settlement near the mouth of Fishing Creek, turned his interests to the high land opposite the Nescopeck Creek. He explored the region about 1780. He finally returned about 1783 and laid out a town which he first named Owensburg. Later it was named Berwick for Berwick-Upon-Tweed. He gave land for a Quaker meeting house. He actively worked to bring about the sale of his land. Many of the Berwick settlers came from the region of Easton along the Delaware River. These journeyed up the Lehigh River valley, continued through Beaver Meadows and on to the valley of the Nescopeck Creek. Berwick was the first of the towns of Columbia County to be laid out, although not, apparently, the first town site to be settled for a number of others, it seems, had settlers at an earlier time.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.