History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 25

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 25

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1 Residing ou the Monongahela, at the place now Fayette City, in ayette County.

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

of the militia of Washington County. The settlers west of the Monongahela were almost in a state of panic. Col. Marshal, of Washington County, wrote Gen. Irvine on the 4th of July, informing him that the people of that section were determined to abandon their settlements if a force was not sent to protect them. A great number of the inhabitants moved from their homes to the shelter of the forts and block- houses. Nearly as much consternation prevailed in the settlements east of the Monongahela, and the general alarm was greatly increased by the sudden appearance of the enemy in Westmoreland County, where, on the 11th of July, they killed and sealped three sons of Mr. Chambers, and two days later, at- tacked and burned the old county seat of Westmore- land, Hannastown. This event was narrated in a letter1 written by Ephraim Douglass to Gen. James Irvine, dated July 26, 1782, as follows :

" My last contained some account of the destruction of Hanna's Town, but it was an imperfect one; the damage was greater than we then knew, and attended with circumstances different from my representation of them. There were nine killed and twelve carried off prisoners, and instead of some of the houses without the fort being defended by our people, they all retired within the miserable stockade, and the enemy pos- sessed themselves of the forsaken houses, from whence they kept up a continual fire upon the fort from about twelve o'clock till night without doing any other damage than wounding one little girl within the walls. They carried away a great number of horses and everything of value in the deserted houses, de- stroyed all the cattle, hogs, and poultry within their reach, and burned all the houses in the village ex- cept two; these they also set fire to, but fortunately it did not extend itself so far as to consume them; several houses round the country were destroyed in Notwithstanding Gen. Irvine's fears to the contrary, the raising of the new expedition was strenuously the same manner, and a number of unhappy families either murdered or carried off captives ; some have i urged, and pushed forward with all possible vigor by the principal officers of the militia in this region. The commanding officers of companies at that time in what is now Fayette County were:

since suffered a similar fate in different parts ; hardly a day but they have been discovered in some quarter of the country, and the poor inhabitants struck with terror through the whole extent of our frontier. Where this party set out from is not certainly known; several circumstances induce the belief of their coming from the head of the Allegheny, or towards | Niagara, rather than from Sandusky or the neighbor- hood of Lake Erie. The great number of whites, known by their language to have been in the party, the direction of their retreat when they left the country, which was towards the Kittanning, and no appearance of their tracks either coming or going having been discovered by the officer and party which the general2 ordered on that service beyond the river, all conspire to support this belief, and I think it is

sincerely to be wished, on account of the unfortunate captives who have fallen into their hands, that it may be true, for the enraged Delawares renounce the idea of taking any prisoners but for cruel purposes of torture."

Intelligence of the attack on and destruction of Hannastown did not reach Gen. Irvine, at Fort Pitt, until three days after the occurrence, and of course it was then too late for the commandant to send a force in pursuit of the savages with any hope of suc- cess. The Indians who made the foray were from the north, mostly Mingoes. The surviving prisoners cap- tured at Hannastown and Miller's were taken to Niagara and delivered to the British military authori- ties there. At the close of the war they were delivered up and returned to their homes.

Before the events above narrated, Gen. Irvine wrote (July 11th) to Gen. Washington, saying that the people were constantly growing more determined in their efforts to raise a new force to operate against the Sandusky towns, that solicitations to him to assist in it and to assume the command were increasing daily, and that the militia officers had actually commenced preparations for the expedition. The news of the descent of the savages on Hannastown caused these preparations to be urged with greater energy by the bolder and more determined men, while it increased : the general alarm and apprehension in a great degree. Gen. Irvine, in a letter witten to President Moore, of the Executive Council, on the 16th of July, said, in reference to the probable results of this affair, " I fear this stroke will intimidate the inhabitants so much that it will not be possible to rally theni or persuade them to make a stand. Nothing in my power shall be left undone to countenance and encourage them."

Capt. John Beeson. Capt. Moses Sutton.

Theophilus Phillips,

Ichabod Ashcraft.

James Dougherty.

Daniel Canon.

Robert Beall.

William Hayney.

- McFarlin.

Nichols.

Ryan.

Capt. Thos. Moore.

Every person liable to do military duty was required to report to the commanding officer of the company in which he was eurolled. Other than clearly estab- lished physical disability, or having served in the then recent campaign under Col. Crawford, very few pleas for exemption from service were deemed valid. Men were required to perform regular tours of duty at the several "stations" in anticipation of Indian at-

1 Now in existence, with the "Irvine Papers," in possession of the Pennsylvania Historical Society.

· Gen. Irvine.

Michael Catts.

John Hardin.

Jolin Powers.

= Armstrong Porter.

Cornelius Lynch.

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THE REVOLUTION.

tack, but were excused from this duty if disposed to volunteer for the new expedition.1

1 Many of these facts are obtained from the old manuscript book which is still in existence in the court-house at Uniontown, and contains the minutes of the several military "Courte of Appenl" held in the spring and summer of 1782, as before mentioned. Some extracts from these minutes are here given, viz. :

" At a Court of Appeal held at Beeson's Town the 5th day of August, 1782. " Present

Alexander M'Clean Sub. Lieut. for Westd County

Members [ Lient. Robert Richey, Esq"

Ensign William McCoy.

" Captain Ichabod Ashcraft's Return.

" John Griffith .- Exensed on Oath of inability of Body.

" Alexander Buchanan,-Adam McCafferty appears n Substitute for the Station, but chooses rather to go on the Expedition. Ile is therefore excused for that purpose.

"Joshua Robinson .- Substitute, Daniel Barton, for the Station.

" Thomas Bowel .- Excused on the Credit of his brother, Bazil Bowel, whe is Enrolled under Capt. Ashcraft for the Expedition.

" Capt. Daniel Chunon's Return-7th Class.

" Matthey Willey .- Clerk to the Company, to turn out on duty with the Capt.

"James Robeson .- His son a Volunteer for the Expedition-Enrolled.

" Burditt Clifton .- Rendezvoused ugrecuble to order the 30th July at Rob' Rogers.

" James Burns .- A Volunteer for the Expedition.

" James Finley, Junior .- Excused on acet of a Tour on the Relief of Inseainwas, provid. by Mr. John Kidd.

" Abraham McDonald .- Fiued.

" Michael Daley .- Excused on Oath of present inability of Body.

"Philip Records .- Excused on acct of Services performed on Mackin- tosh's Campaign by Alexander M'Clenn.

" Captain Sutton's Return-5th Class.

" James Donaldsoo .- Excused on account of Services performed on Mackintosh's Campaign, not before credited for.

" Obadiah Stillwell .- Levi Bridgewater excuses him by a tour en the Saodusky.

" Jolin Hawthorn .- David Brooks, a Substitute, appears for the Station.

" Webb Hayden .- Appears for Station; excused by William Julliff, on Expedition.

"John Scott .- Bit by a Snake, & not able to perform the next Tonr.

" Capt. Beeson's Return-Gth Class.

"Thomas Brownfield .- To be determined by the Court of Common Pleas.

" Samuel Rich .- John Beeson answers a Tour of Duty by the Relief of Tuscarawas

"Christian Countryman .- Excused on Condition He perform the next Tour of Duty yet to be Ordered.

" Ben. Carter .- John Orr, of Capt. Sutton's Company, answers a Tour on Sandusky Ex".

"Jolin Stitt .- Produced a Certificate of his having produced a Substi- inte during the War.

"Samnel Boyd .- Excused on account of Two Tours of duty allowed ly Capt. Anderson for bringing in prisoners from Carolina taken by Collo Morgan.

"John M'Clean, Jun" .- Performed on the Line [meaning a tour of anty as one of the guards to the surveyors running the line between Pennsylvania and Virginia].

" At a Court of Appeal held at Union Town the 13th day of August, 1782.

" Alexander M'Clean, Sub. Lt. Esq' ?

Daniel Culp.

Present.

" Return of Capt. Beall.

"James Stephenson .- At the Station.

"Jolin Love .- Ao apprentice to Mr. Craftcort, & was at his father's when Hannahs Town wis destroyed, and continued there to assist bis father.

" Moses White .- At the Station.

" Thomas Stusey .- Enrolled for the Expedition.

* * *

* *

The destruction of Hannastown was quickly fol- lowed by other Indian forays at various points along the border, and as the continual alarms caused by these attacks rendered it necessary to keep large num- bers of the militiamen constantly on duty at the sta- tions, it soon became apparent that the requisite num- ber of volunteers could not be raised and equipped for the new expedition by the time originally desig- nated, which was the 1st of August.2 "The incur- sions of the Indians on the frontier of this country," said Gen. Irvine, in a letter written on the 25th of July to the Secretary of War, " will unavoidably pre- vent the militia from assembling as soon as the 1st of August. Indeed, I begin to entertain doubts of their being able to raise and equip the proposed number this season." Under these circumstances the general thought it proper to extend the time of preparation for the expedition, and accordingly he directed that the forces should assemble on September 20th (in- stead of August 1st), at Fort McIntosh, as a general rendezvous, and march thence to the invasion of the Indian country.3

In the mean time the Indians continued to grow bolder and more aggressive in their attacks along the border, On the night of the 11th of September an Indian force of two hundred and sixty warriors, under the renegade George Girty (brother of the infamous Simon), accompanied by a detachment of abont forty British Rangers from Detroit, under Capt. Pratt, of the royal service, attacked the fort at Wheeling,4 but were repulsed. Other attempts were made by them during the day and night of the 12th, but with no better suc- cess. In the morning of the 13th the besiegers with- drew from Wheeling, but proceeded to attack Rice's fort, some fourteen miles distant. There also they were repulsed, their loss being four warriors killed. These and other attacks at various points on the frontier materially dampened the ardor of the people

The book contains a great number of entries similar to those given above. It closes with minutes of business done " At a Court of Appeal held at Riffles Fort, the third day of September, 1782.

" Present .- Alexander M'Clean, Sub Lieut. Pres

Andrew Rabbi, Esq' & Members." John P. Duvall.

" The volunteers for the expedition in that part of Westmoreland County which is now Fayette were ordered to rendezvous at Beesons- town ( Uniontown) on the 30th of July, to procred thence to the general rendezvous at the month of Beaver.

3 Both the State and general government had approved the plan of the expedition, and Gen. Irvine had been appointed to the command of it.

4 John Slover, the guide io Crawford's expedition, who made his es- cape from the Indians after having bren tied to the stake for torture, as before narrated, had given warning that the savages were meditating nu extended series of operations against the frontier settlements, and that among these projected operations was an attack in force on the post nt Wheeling. This information he said he gained by being present at their councils for several days while in captivity, and fully under- standing every word that was uttered by the chiefs on those occasions, as he was entirely familiar with the Delaware, Wyandot, and Shawanese languages. The talo which he brought of these intended expeditions by the Indians against the white settlements was not believed by Couk . Marshal, Gaddis, and Gen. Irvine, but the result proved that Slover liad neither misunderstood nor falsified the Intentions of the savages as expressed by their chiefs in council.

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

with regard to the expedition, though the govern- ment had ordered that a considerable body of regular Continental troops should accompany it, in accord- ance with the requests of Col. Cook, Col. Marshal, and several of the more prominent among the officers of the militia between the Monongahela and Youghio- gheny Rivers. The minutes of the "Courts of Ap- peal," before referred to, indicate that in what is now Fayette County the men liable to military duty were, after the Ist of August, 1782, much less disposed than before to volunteer for the expedition in preference to doing duty on the stations in the vicinity of their homes.

On the 18th of September, two days before the time which he had appointed for the rendezvous at Fort McIntosh, Gen. Irvine addressed communica- tions to Col. Edward Cook (of Cookstown, now Fay- ette City ) and Col. Marshal, respectively county lieu . tenants of Westmoreland and Washington, saying, "I have this moment received dispatches from the Secretary of War informing me that some regular troops are ordered from below to assist us in our intended expedition. I am therefore to beg you will immediately countermand the march of the vol- unteers and others of your counties until further orders. As soon as I am positively assured of the time the troops will be here I shall give you the earliest notice." But the notification was never given, for the war between England and the United States was virtually closed, and with the approach of peace the Secretary of War countermanded the order for the regulars to join in the expedition.

A letter from Gen. Lincoln to Gen. Irvine, dated September 27th, notified the latter that information had been received from Gen. Washington to the effect that " the Indians are all called in" (by the British government). It is evident that on the receipt of this communication, a few days later, Irvine abandoned all idea of prosecuting the expedition, and on the 18th of October, in a letter to Col. Cook, he said, "I re- ceived your letter by Sergt. Porter, and one last night from Col. Marshal, which is full of despondency. Indeed, by all accounts I can collect, it would be vain to insist on bringing the few willing people to the general rendezvous, as there is not the most dis- tant prospect that half sufficient would assemble. Under the circumstances I think it will be most ad- visable to give up the matter at once, and direct the provisions and other articles be restored to the owners."

the Revolution. After the official proclamation of peace, however, and as late as the end of the spring of 1783, Indian depredations were continued to some extent along the Western Pennsylvania and Virginia border, though none of these are found reported as having been committed within the territory which now forms the county of Fayette.

CHAPTER XII.

PENNSYLVANIA AND VIRGINIA TERRITORIAL CON- TROVERSY - ESTABLISHMENT OF BOUNDARIES- SLAVERY AND SERVITUDE.

THROUGH a period of about thirty years from the time when the first white settlements were made be- tween the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers there existed a controversy (which more than once threatened to break out into open hostility) between Pennsylvania and Virginia as to the ownership of the country lying to the westward of the Laurel Hill, both governments at the same time vigorously assert- ing their respective rights to jurisdiction over the ter- ritory in question. This dispute was partly in regard to the location of the east-and-west line forming the boundary between the two provinces (afterwards States), but chiefly in reference to the establishment of the western boundary of Pennsylvania, which would also be the eastern boundary of Virginia in that lati- tude.

The royal grant of Pennsylvania to the first propri- etary anthorized the extension of its western limits a distance of five degrees of longitude west from the Delaware River, and the question of where the end of those five degrees would fall was the principal one at issue in the long and bitter controversy which followed. By the government and partisans of Vir- ginia it was confidently believed that under that grant Pennsylvania's western boundary must be as far east as the Laurel Hill, which would give to their province (or State) all the territory between that mountain range and the Ohio River; while, on the contrary, Pennsylvania insisted that the measurement of the five degrees would extend her limits to a point sev- eral miles west of the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. And it was the realization of the prospective importance of that point, the site of the present city of Pittsburgh, which first opened the contest between the rival claimants of the coveted territory, which embraced this "key to the Ohio Valley," and to the inviting regions of the West.

About two weeks after Gen. Irvine wrote this letter he received official notification from the Secretary of War (dated October 30th) that the Indian expedition had been abandoned, and thereupon the fact was of- In the formation, plans, and brief operations of the Ohio Company, which have already been noticed, it is evident that the persons composing that company (most of whom were Virginians) believed that the country about the "forks of the Ohio," and, in fact, ficially communicated to the lieutenants of West- moreland and Washington Counties. This ended all thoughts of raising a force to invade the Indian country, and it also closed the military history of this section of country for the period of the war of ! all to the westward of the Laurel Hill, was within the

115

PENNSYLVANIA AND VIRGINIA TERRITORIAL CONTROVERSY.

jurisdiction of Virginia, or at least beyond that of Pennsylvania. The first attempt to build a fort where Pittsburgh now stands was made by a company of Virginians, under the Virginian captain, Trent. It was the Virginia Governor, Dinwiddie, who sent Washington on his mission in 1753 to the French posts on the Allegheny, and who sent him again in 1754 to endeavor to take and keep possession of this region by military force; and Virginians, more largely than troops of any of the other provinces, marched with Braddock in 1755 in the unsuccessful attempt to wrest this territory from the power of the French. Thus the Virginians, believing that the trans-Allegheny country belonged to their province, had been forward in all the measures taken for its oc- cupation and defense, while Pennsylvania had, up to that time, done little or nothing in that direction.

But as early as the beginning of the year 1754, Pennsylvania, though making no active effort to hold and defend the bordering country Allegheny and Mo- nongahela Rivers, began to see the value and import- ance of the point at the head of the Ohio, where Capt. Trent had commenced the erection of a fort for the Ohio Company (afterwads Fort Du Quesne, and later Fort Pitt). The first entry which has been found in the official records of Pennsylvania concerning the matter is as follows: " March 12, 1754, evidence sent to the House that Venango and Logstown, where the French forts are built, are in the province of Penn- sylvania." And a little later came Virginia's rejoin- der, in a letter written by Governor Dinwiddie to Governor Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, dated March 21, 1754, in which the former said, " I am much mis- led by our surveyors if the forks of the Monongahela be within the bounds of the province of Pennsyl- vania." This may be regarded as the beginning of the controversy, but the defeat of Washington and Braddock, which followed soon after, caused the matter to be held in abeyance for a number of years; for neither Pennsylvania nor Virginia thought it worth while to quarrel over their respective claims to a country which was in the full and absolute posses- sion of the French.

After the expulsion of the French power by the military forces under Forbes in 1758, and the conse- quent occupation of the country by the English, the rival claims of Pennsylvania and Virginia were again revived ; but no collisions occurred nor was any very general dissatisfaction apparent until after the forma- tion of the Pennsylvania county of Bedford, to extend across the mountains to the western limit of the pro- vince, covering the disputed territory west of Laurel Hill, claimed by Virginia to be within her county of Augusta, which had been laid out thirty-three years earlier. Upon the erection of Bedford (March 9, 1771), the officers of that county were directed to collect taxes from the inhabitants west of the moun- tains for the establishment of conrts and the erection of county buildings at Bedford; and this created a

wide-spread feeling of dissatisfaction, and a deter- mination to resist the collection, which state of affairs is noticed in a letter written by Robert Lettis Hooper, Jr., to his Excellency Governor William Franklin, of New Jersey. The following is an extract from the letter in question, viz. :

" FORT PITT, Sept. 15, 1772.

"SIR,-A few Days ago I was at Redstone, when I had an opportunity of knowing the sentiments of the People of that Part of the Country with Respect to the Western Boundary of Pennsylvania, and find a great Number of them are determined to pay no respect to the Institution of the Court at Bedford. They believe the Western Boundary of Pennsylvania will not extend so far a : Redstone Settlement, and say it is an imposition to oblige them to pay taxes for Building Court Houses, &c., in Bedford County when there is the greatest probability of their being out of Pennsylvania, and that they shall be obliged to con- tribute to publick Uses in the New Colony. These sentiments do not proceed from Licentiousness in the People, nor from a desire to screen themselves from Law as some would represent, but from believing themselves out of Pennsylvania and being burthened with exorbitant Taxes and Mileage, which they are unwilling to pay till it is absolutely determined whether they are in Pennsylvania or not.

" The Sheriff of Bedford County told me he had Governor Penn's orders to execute his office as far as the Settlements did extend on the Ohio, and even to the Kenhaways, which the Governor must know is far below the Western Boundary of Pennsylvania ; and though he dare not attempt it, yet I think it my Duty to inform your Excellency that the settling of this Country is much hindered by these Disputes, and that many respectable and substantial settlers are prevented from coming into it by these Disputes, and to the great injury of the Gentlemen who have ob- tained a Grant on the Ohio. .

After the erection of Westmoreland County from the western part of Bedford in 1773, the popnlar dis- satisfaction was less, but by no means wholly allayed ; and a considerable portion of the people still re- mained favorable to the claims of Virginia.

About the beginning of the year 1774, Lord Dun- more, Governor of Virginia, developed his determina- tion to use strong measures for the assertion of the claims of his province to jurisdiction over the dis- puted territory. To this, it was said, he was incited by Col. George Croghan and his nephew, Dr. John Connolly, an intriguing and ambitions partisan resid- ing at Fort Pitt. Connolly had visited the Governor at Williamsburg, and now returned with a captain's commission, and power and directions from the Gov- ernor to take possession of the Monongahela country and the region around Fort Pitt, in the name of the king. Upon this he issued his proclamation to the people in the vicinity of Redstone and Fort Pitt to

11G

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

meet on the 25th of January in the year named, to be enbodied as Virginia militia. Many assembled in accordance with the proclamation ; but in the mean time Connolly was arrested by Capt. Arthur St. Clair, as an officer of Westmoreland County, and the militia were for the time dispersed ; but after Connolly's re- lease he, with the aid of the militia, took possession of Fort Pitt, which he pretended to name, in honor of his patron, Fort Dunmore. Some of the means which he took to enforce the authority are set forth in the letter addressed to Governor Penn by William Craw- ford, who was then presiding justice of the courts of Westmoreland, and a resident in that part of the county which afterwards became Fayette. It is proper to state here that he soon afterwards turned against the Pennsylvania interest, and became one of the most active partisans of Virginia, and a civil officer under that government. The letter in question was as follows:

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 25

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314