USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Columbia County Historical Society and Commissioners of Columbia County. Volume One > Part 4
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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.
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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 supriscd, 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 were attacked near Wellsburg, N. Y., and soundly beaten.
Battle of Newtown August 29, 1779
Then the expedition advanced to the Indian villages, in the Soneca 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 werc 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 the 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
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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 carital 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 Cogress 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
1780
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,
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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
1720
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 and 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 inadvertently 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 loft 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 Selllemout in Snatch 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?
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The forty-one soldiers, tired from a long, hot march were resting at ease at a cool spring. The Indians, advancing around Sugarloaf Mountain, completely surprised the Americans. Almost half of them were killed with a few prisoners taken. Only twenty-two escaped. Fort McClure
Moses Van Campen reported for duty after his return from capture. He was made lieutenant of Ranger company. One of his first assignments was to fortify Widow ""cClure's home with a stockade. A view up and down the river was her provided. It does Cornwallis not seem ever to have been attacked, but there were traditions of lurking savages with alarms and hasty flights. This fort became headquarters for supplies and expeditions.15
surrender at Yorktown Oct. 19, 17 81
After 1782 the brunt of Indian attacks fell on our neighboring regions. The British assured that the savages had been recalled. Indian depredations did not end abruptly but dwindled gradually away.
Last Indian Troubles
Proclama- tion of Peace, April 1783
An Indian camp was established at Catawissa about 1782. This resulted in some quarrels and threats to peace. A man was barely able to escape hostile Indians by taking refuge in the river, although he could not swim. A family was killed across the river from Catawissa, parents and three children. Three older sons escaped, having gone for flour to the mill at Sunbury.
The last . . trage was in 1785. A party of Indians returning to New York murdered parents and small child on Mifflin flats. This was part of a group and they had pushed ahead of a main party of immigrants.
15It is interesting to note that Inter Moses Van Campen married Margaret, one of the Mcclure daughters. Van Campen's services wore continued on the West Branch. He was again captured by the Indians and was in grave danger of his life when the Indians came to realize that he had been their prisoner before and was the one who had killed Indians in his attempt to escape. However, the British authorities in Canada treated him as a prisoner of war. He was finally exchanged near its close.
TO FIND OUT HOW EFFECTIVELY YOU HAVE READ
1. What was the "New Purchase"? Why was it important to Columbia County? What other purchase involved our county's area? (Refer to Chapter I, also.)
2. How dic. our region come to be known and mapped?
3. Give an account of the conflicts with Connecticut over Pennsylvania territory, including causes and outcome. How was our own history affected by these conflicts?
4. Who, kinds of people, were interested in frontier lands? Why? Why did farmers, especially, wish to leave cleared and settled land for the frontier? 5. How could would-be land-owners secure possession of frontier land?
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PIONEERS, PATRIOTS, AND TORIES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS
Chapter II.
Conflicts and Their Causes
1768
The New Purchase at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768 marks the end of our region as Indian country, although the Indians did not all leave it immediately. The lands of the North and West Branches had been purchased and the French rivals defeated. The fur traders were to move farther west, following the Indians and seeking areas where fur animals and game had not been so nearly killed off. The area was definitely open to Pennsylvania settlers, or so it seemed at that time. But actually, terrible events were in the malcing. The colony of Connecticut laid claim to the north- ern part of Pennsylvania and endeavored to settle it with Connecticut people. Within seven years, also, the war of the Revolution was to break out. These two conflicts were intermingled and both involved our region in bitter struggles. And many Indians, reluctant to leave these lands, joined against the settlers to bring destruc- tion and bloodshed to the people of these valleys. These struggles will now be explained.
Early Explorations in the North Branch Country
1728
1737
Long before 1768, information about the Susquehanna lands had been growing. Fur traders journeyed deep into Indian country. They reached the Forks of the Susquehanna at an early date. In 1728 one of these traders, James LeTort wrote from Catawissa about a fight between the Shawnees and "some back inhabte". This is the first written mention of Catawissa. In 1737 Conrad Weiser, the great Indian interpreter, came down the North Branch from a journey to the Six Nations. He reported traders in the Wyoming Valley, and also three men, Germans, from the Delaware region, who were hunting land. The following years, missionaries visited the Indians and endeavored to convert them to Christianity. This they failed to do. However, their trips increased the knowledge of the region. Soon one of these travelers was to write that the river at Catawissa was the "most beautiful he ever saw". Friendly Indian guides and the several hundred soldiers sent to garrison Fort Augusta, during the French and Indian War, were able to tell about these lands. Conflict with Connecticut
1756
From all these reports people learned that there were rich lands beyond the first mountains in the upper valleys of the Susquehanna. These stories were carried far and wide in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even to Connecticut. In Connecticut, there was not much land to expand into. People were seeking other areas to settle. Its boundaries as originally granted had extended to the "South Sea", which meant the Pacific Ocean. But since that grant of 16>2, other charters had granted land due west of Connecticut's settled boundaries to New York, to New Jersey, and to William Penn. By the middle of the 1700's these sections in New York and New Jersey were well advanced in settlement and were in the control of strong provincial governments. But in the upper
Indian war 1763 and Frencha 1764 Pontiac's Way
1768 New Purchase
1772 Settlements
Roberts, Eres, Mclure
1776 Declaration of
Independence 178 Wyoming Massac?
Corn wallis Surrender
-1786 Owensburg
laid out.
1781
1775 1
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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 Grecks, 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 milc or so, often less, from the river bank to the line of hills. They are called bottom lands. . ore accurately they are flood plains, built up by the deposit of rivor 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.
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Ch. III
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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 Crrek. 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.
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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 southwerd 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
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