USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > History of Huntingdon County, in the state of Pennsylvania : from the earliest times to the centennial anniversary of American independence, July 4, 1876 > Part 7
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In June, 1778, Lieut. Carothers, who seems to have been a very energetic and efficient officer, sent sixty of the Cum- berland county militia to Kishacoquillas and Standing Stone valleys. The men had not responded very freely to his call and he could not send a larger force. It was with still greater difficulty that they were armed. The people of those valleys, and doubtless of all other localities exposed to at- tack, on getting arms into their hands, whether public or private, would refuse to surrender them, as they did not know the hour when they might have use for them. Every man felt the necessity of being prepared to defend himself and his household when threatened by danger, especially when the only military protection consisted of a few undis- ciplined men, scattered over an extensive frontier. In the want of confidence and security which prevailed, it is not strange that the pioneer preferred to retain the weapons in his own possession rather than to give them up to others, who might not be within reach to give him assistance when it was needed. On the 19th of May, 1779, General James Potter wrote from Penn's Valley, that "that small company of 30 men has encurredged the people of standing stoan Valley to stand as yet, altho' it is too few for that place." If these thirty were part of the men sent by Lieut. Caro- thers, then the other thirty had probably remained at Kish- acoquillas.
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
In a circular to the County Lieutenants, issued by the Council at Philadelphia, July 16, 1778, it is stated "that Col. Broadhead's regiment, now on a march to Pittsburg, is ordered by the Board of War to the Standing Stone, and we have ordered three hundred militia from Cumberland and two hundred from York county to join them." It is not likely that the Board of War had any intention of changing the destination of Col. Broadhead's command, or that its remain at Huntingdon was to be more than temporary. There is some evidence that the regiment was there on the 8th of August. On that day Conncil wrote to Dr. Shippen, that "beside the militia at Sunbury, there are two other bodies in Continental service which will also require a sup- ply of medicine-one body of five hundred men at Standing Stone, ou Juniata, in Bedford county ; the other, consisting of four hundred and fifty men, at or near Easton. You will therefore please to pay attention to these two bodies at the same time that those at Sunbury are supplied." These troops had left Huntingdon before the next spring, as Gen- eral Potter, in his letter heretofore referred to, said: “I can't help being surprised that there has been no militia sent to that part of Bedford county that Joynes us ; neither to Frankstown or Standing Stone, except that small com- pany. of Buchanan's Batallion that would not go to Fort Roberdeau."
In the early part of 1779 Congress adopted resolutions authorizing the raising of five companies of rangers for ser- vice on the frontiers for a term of nine months. One of these was to be raised in Bedford county, and Capt. Thomas Clugage, brother of Major Robert Clugage, who was subse- quently in command at Huntingdon, was appointed to the command of it. As Capt. Clugage resided within the pres- ent limits of Huntingdon county, he recruited his company principally within the territory of which it was afterwards formed, now constituting Huntingdon and Blair counties.
We are at a loss for information in regard to his success in recruiting, as he either failed to report his progress to the proper authorities as promptly as required, or his returns,
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as he alleged, were miscarried and failed to reach their des- tination. On the 26th of June, Joseph Reed, President of the Council, inquired of him by letter, "the exact state of the company." To this there was no reply, probably for the reason that he could not make a creditable report. He wrote from Fort Roberdeau, the fort at the lead mines, named after General Roberdeau, on the 6th of August, that he had arrived at that post that morning, bringing with him what men he could collect on the way. He meant, no doubt, that he had obtained some additional recruits between Hunt- ingdon and the fort, and not that he had no other men than those whom he had collected. His statement, however, was so indefinite and unsatisfactory that President Reed wrote to him in a very peremptory manner on the 20th of August. It was with great concern that the Council had found that he had not yet made any return of his transactions in recruiting his company; they had been informed that he had indulged his men by permitting them to go to their homes; such con- duct was very disagreeable to the Council and disreputable to him, more especially as gentlemen of note in the county were complaining that their protection was neglected; there was certainly something wrong which he was required to rectify without delay; he was directed to take such station as Col. Piper should think most for the interests of the coun- ty and the frontier generally, and was recommended to exert himself to satisfy the just expectations of the public and ren- der the services for which the company was raised.
Having given the purport of the charges against him, it is but proper that I should give his reply in vindication of himself.
FORT ROBERDEAU, Oct. 10th, 1779.
" Sir : I received your Letter some time agoe, Daited Aug't 20th, which Surprised me very much that you have not Received my Returns of my Progress in Recruiting at Different times before the Date of your Letter, as I have sent Expresses with Different Letters as far down as Carlisle, allowing them to be forwarded by the first opportunity from thare. But it's likely they ware miscarried by some means,
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therefore would be glad to know by what means I am to send you returns-whether by Express or no; if by Express how they are to be furnished with money to pay Expenses.
" You say you have been informed I have Indulged my men with letting them go to their homes. I acknowledge I have Indulged a few of them, such as had Grain to Reep, (and save it) as it appeared to me to be a loss to the State to let grain be destroyed for want of reaping whare it is so very scarce as it is on the frontier, rendered so from the different Incursions of the enemy. I am very much Surprised to hear that Gentlemen of Note in the County have had reasons to Complain of me, as I am conscious I have done every thing that could be expected from me towards Protecting the Suffering Frontiers of this County. But, Sir, I must in- form you that there are Gentlemen in this County that would not be satisfied with my Conduct, Except I would furnish them and their familyes with a guard at their own houses, so that they might follow their Labour without Dangour; however, that is out of my power; for it would take at least a regament to afford that Protection to every family in the Quarter I am stationed in, and have grate reason to think it must be some of these Gentlemen that Layed the Complaint; therefore, in order to Justify my Caracter, would take it as a favour if you would let me know the Gentlemen's names by first opportunity.
" My Company has been Revewed, and Past muster-3 Officers & 43 Rank and file, one of the Latter Killed or taken. , I have made application to Mr. Carson for the neces- saries promised-have received some of them, But no Blan- kets except four; they are very necessary at this Season of the year, and Can't be done without; therefore would be glad Mr. Carson Could be furnished with them by some means, as I have promised them to the men. Would be glad to know who I must apply to pay the Doctor's Bills, as I have been under the necessity of applying to one for some of my company, and paid him out of my own pocket."
While Capt. Clugage's company was being recruited, it was not the intention to rely on it for the protection of the
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whole section of country in which it was to be stationed, but efforts were made to organize and send militia from other counties. In February, 1779, President Reed went to con- sult with General Washington on this subject, and, as the re- sult of their conference, orders were issued in March, imme- diately after his return, for the calling out of two hundred and fifty men from Lancaster and York counties for service in Bedford and Westmoreland, one hundred and twenty-five for each of the latter. These orders were almost wholly disregarded; at least, they were never complied with. Lan- caster showed some disposition to obey, but York failed en- tirely, and Lancaster, influenced by her example, did like- wise. In the following July, President Reed wrote to Col. Piper that the failure of those counties was a proper subject for inquiry by the Assembly.
In the autumn of that year the danger of an evacuation of the country had greatly increased. The protection afforded the people was so insufficient that it seemed for a time that there would soon be no people to protect. In this emergency Col. Martin, one of the sub-lieutenants, thought it his duty to call out more of the militia of Bedford county, but it was found that there was not a grain of powder with which to supply them. In a letter to Council, dated September 15th, 1779, the situation of the country was represented as deplor- able : "It has been our misfortune not to have had a single man (during that summer) either for our own defense or es- corting stores to Fort Pitt, except a few of our own tired out militia and a few of Capt. Clugage's company, who don't seem to be extended wide enough and only afford protection to one corner." From the disposition that was made of troops, when any were available, it seems that the northern part of Bedford county, or that now embraced within Huntingdon, was as well, if not better, guarded than any other.
Cumberland county was the most ready to give assistance when called upon to do so. It was a matter of self-interest to her to confine hostilities to the territory of her western neighbor, and to keep the enemy as far from her own bor- ders as possible. But the presence of her citizens, armed
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
and equipped to repel the savages, was hailed with no less gratification on that account by the dwellers upon the fron- tiers. In the spring of 1780 a party from that county "marched out to waylay the gaps of the Allegheny moun- tains." They found no Indians, but manifested a spirit which was highly commended by Major Robert Clugage, in command at Huntingdon. He said that they were "willing to keep out a scout constantly, and run their chance for pay, if they could be kept in provisions." As to the latter, 'Squire Brown had proposed to find flour, salt and whiskey, and there was nothing but meat wanting.
Huntingdon was at that time a depot for supplies. How long it had been so we do not know. In May, 1780, the removal of the stores was under consideration, and, perhaps, fully decided upon, at which the people were very much dissatisfied, and protested against it. They had no doubt greater objections to the troops being taken away, a guard being necessary at the place while the public property was there. Major Clugage had detailed sixteen men for the pur- pose, who, he says, were "to do proper duty as enlisted troops, and in case of misbehaving, to be punished as the same."
In the meantime the term of enlistment of Capt. Clugage's company had expired. This occured in the winter or spring of 1780. His men were discharged and their arms left in the county. Capt. Clugage was afterwards in the service. One company, if not more, was raised in Bedford county, towards the latter part of the war, some of the members of which were from the present limits of Huntingdon county, and sent to the front in the eastern part of the State. Col. John Fee, who resided opposite the mouth of the Raystown branch, was one of the soldiers who went from this vicinity. He was not an officer during the war, but took great interest in military affairs after its close.
Nothing occurred to change the situation during the fol- lowing year. The next important event was the division of the county into military districts or battalions. One of these was composed of the townships of Dublin, Shirley,
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Barree, Hopewell, Frankstown and Huntingdon, names which, with the exception of Frankstown, are still familiar in Huntingdon county.
In connection with this division first appears the name of Col. George Ashman. He had come from Maryland, and had settled where Orbisonia now stands, and where he after- wards built Bedford Furnace. On the day following the promulgation of the order dividing the county into districts -May 19th, 1781-Col. Ashman wrote to President Reed : "I have just received the returns of all the male white in- habitants residing in this (Bedford) county that come under the militia law, in the whole fourteen hundred and fifty-six, and am now forming them. I hope your Excellency will order one hundred of the militia of Cumberland county to be ready to take post in this county when those that are now here are discharged, which will be the fourteenth day of June, or send me such orders as will enable me to call out the militia of this county from the interior parts of it by that time. If this is omitted, I can assure your Excellency that a principal part of the inhabitants of this county will move off, as many families have already moved when the late dam- age was done."
On the 3d of June, Col. Ashman, in consequence of the reported massacre of thirty soldiers between Bedford and Frankstown, called upon Col. Buchanan, at Kishacoquillas, to exert himself "in getting men to go up to the Stone." On the next day Col. Brown and his command marched to Huntingdon in response to this call ..
Later in the same month, Col. Ashman exhibited the greatest anxiety concerning the situation of the county and the furnishing of assistance to the people to prevent them from fleeing. Within two days of the time when the Cumberland county militia were to be discharged, he was informed that no orders had been issued for others to take their places. He became alarmed for the safety of his own family, and determined to remove them to Mary- land, as he was convinced that the settlements could not make a stand against the enemy. Whether he carried out
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this intention, Richard Ashman, esq., his descendant, could not inform the writer.
The war was then approaching a close. Lord Cornwallis surrendered on the 19th day of October, 1781. But peace with the Indians was longer delayed, In May, 1782, the Cumberland county militia were still moving forward to the posts near the gaps in the Allegheny mountains. On the 13th of that month, Bernard Dougherty, Treasurer of Bed- ford county, and a member of the Assembly, wrote from "Huntingdon, or the Standing Stone town," that "a company of Cumberland militia, consisting of thirty-five men, arrived here yesterday on their way to Frankstown garrison, where they are to be joined by Capt. Boyd's ranging company. The people in the frontiers of this county are mostly fled from their habitations. As yet nothing has happened in this county, but we are afraid a stroke will be made next moon- light."
In that month General Carlton arrived from England, suc- ceeded Sir Henry Clinton in command of the British forces, and entered into negotiations for peace. From a period not long after his arrival no parties of Indians were sent out, and messengers were dispatched to recall those who had gone before that time. This was the end not only of Indian hostilities under British influence and in the British interests, but the end of them forever. Beginning in 1754, when the French and Indian alliance was formed, the war- fare of the savages against the frontier settlers had con- tinued without intermission, except that at some periods it was more active than at others, for twenty eight years.
The trials, the perils and the sufferings of those times will never be fully known. Cotemporary records of what then occurred are meagre and imperfect. We find among them references to murders and depredations by the Indians. Many of these can be traced to unfounded rumors, which were likely to originate in widely scattered communities, where the people were in constant fear and danger. Au- thentic accounts of savage atrocities are so few as to scarcely afford us an idea of the times or enable us to correctly write
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their history. The more recent attempts to gather the nar- ratives of these events, and to present them in connected form, have not led to satisfactory results. The sources of reliable information were so limited, that it was necessary te draw the data or alleged facts from sources that were un- worthy of confidence. Traditionary statements, after they have passed from one generation to another, are not entitled to credence, because of the weakness of memory, on the one hand, and the disposition of many persons to add to a story, on the other. An author receiving a highly colored account of an occurrence, may, if his own imagination be vivid, and if he be disposed to romance rather than truth, write a vol- ume which will be pronounced interesting, but which ought to be presented to the world under some other title than that of history. In the present work, I have endeavored to state nothing positively that is not corroborated by in- dubitable evidence.
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CHAPTER XIII.
DIVISION OF PENNSYLVANIA INTO COUNTIES-PHILADELPHIA, BUCKS AND CHESTER-LANCASTER-CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-HUNTINGDON-COUNTY SEAT-TOWNSHIPS THIEN WITHIN THE COUNTY-ELECTION DISTRICTS- FIRST INCUMBENTS OF COUNTY OFFICES-COURT HOUSES-JAILS-RUNNING AND ASCERTAINING COUNTY LINES-DIFFICULTIES WITH MIFFLIN COUNTY -ERECTION OF NEW COUNTIES-CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR.
The division of Pennsylvania into counties was made dur- ing William Penn's first visit to the province. He was here at that time nearly two years, arriving in 1682, and re- turning to England in 1684. The counties formed by him were Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester, the lines of separa- tion between which were confirmed by the Provincial Coun- cil on the 2d of April, 1685. The only boundaries desig- nated were those where these counties adjoined each other. Their limits in other directions were undefined. They were co-extensive with the province itself. Chester embraced the greatest extent of territory, and from it many other counties have since been erected. The present county of Huntingdon was originally a part of Chester. I will follow the several successive steps by which it became included in other counties, until it was given a distinct and separate existence.
Lancaster county was established by Act of Assembly of May 10th, 1729. It was separated from Chester and Phila- delphia counties by a line running from Octoraro creek in a northeastward direction to the Schuylkill, and included all of the province lying west of that line.
By an Act of Assembly passed the 27th day of January, 1750, the lands lying "to the westward of Susquehanna, and northward and westward of the county of York," were cre- ated into a county to be called Cumberland. It was but a short time previous to that year that events of a historical character began to occur within the present territory of Huntingdon county.
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
Bedford was formed by an Act passed March 9th, 1771, "for erecting part of the county of Cumberland into a sepa - rate county."
From it Huntingdon county was erected, on the 20th day of September, 1787. The following are the preamble of the Act and the section defining the boundaries of the county :
"Whereas, it hath been represented to the General Assem- bly of this State, by the inhabitants of that part of Bedford county which lies on the waters of the Frankstown branch of the Juniata, the lower part of the Raystown branch of the same, the Standing Stone Valley, part of Woodcock Valley, the waters of Aughwick Creek, and other north- easterly parts of the said county of Bedford, that they labor under great hardships from their great distance from the present seat of justice, and the public offices for the said county, now in the town of Bedford : For remedy whereof.
" Be it enacted, etc. That all and singular the lands lying within the bounds and limits herein after described and following, shall be, and are hereby, erected into a separate county by the name of Huntingdon county ; namely, begin- ning in the line of Bedford and Franklin counties, where the new state road, (by some called Skinner's road,) leading from Shippensburg to Littleton, crosses the Tuscarora mountain ; thence in a straight course or line, to the Gap in the Shade mountain, where the road formerly called Potts' road crosses the same, about two miles north of Littleton ; thence by a straight line to the Old Gap, in Sideling Hill, where Sideling Hill creek crosses the mountain ; thence in a straight line by the northerly side of Sebastian Shoub's mill, on the Raystown Branch of Juniata; thence on a straight line to the Elk Gap, in Tussey's mountain; computed to be about nineteen miles above or southwesterly of the town of Huntingdon,(formerly called the Standing Stone) and from the said Elk Gap, in a straight line, to the Gap at Jacob Steven's mill, a little below where Woolery's mill formerly stood, in Morrison's cove ; thence in a straight line by the southerly side of Blair's mill, at the foot of the Allegheny mountain ; thence across the said mountain, in a straight line, to and
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along the ridges dividing the waters of Conemaugh from the waters of Clearfield and Chest creeks, to the line of West- moreland county ; thence by the same to the old purchase line, which was run from Kittanning to the West branch of Susquehanna river ; and along the said line to the said west branch, and down the same to the mouth of Moshannon creek, and along the remaining lines or boundaries which now divide the county of Bedford from the counties of North- umberland, Cumberland and Franklin, to the place of be- ginning."
Although, as recited in the preamble, there was a general movement in favor of the erection of the new county in all parts of the territory proposed to be included within it, yet the measure received the most strenuous opposition, and it was only after a determined struggle that its passage was secured.
It contained the usual provisions for the holding of courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and of Common Pleas, fixing the first Tuesday in the months of December, March, June and September, as the time for their sessions, and that they should be held at the house of Ludwig Sell, in the town of Huntingdon, until a court-house should be built.
In reference to the location of the county seat and the erection of county buildings, the act provided as follows :
"And whereas the petitioners for erecting the said county, have unanimously represented to this house, that the town of Huntingdon, on the river Juniata, is a proper and central place for the seat of justice in the said county ; and the proprietor of said town, at the desire and with the approbation of the inhabitants and owners of lots and build- ings in the same, hath laid off and set apart a proper and sufficient quantity of grounds, for the site of a court house, county goal and prison, and hath engaged to give, assure and convey the same to the commonwealth, in trust and for the use and benefit of the said county ; provided the said town of Huntingdon shall be fixed upon by law as a proper place for the seat of justice in the said county : 'Therefore,
L
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HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
"Be it further enacted, etc., That Benjamin Elliott, Thomas Duncan Smith, Ludwig Sell, George Ashman and William McElevy, be, and they are hereby appointed trustees for the said county of Huntingdon, and they, or any three of them, shall take assurance of and for the lands and grounds pro- posed to be appropriated as aforesaid, in the said town of Huntingdon, for the site of a court house and county goal or prison, and shall take care that the quantity of ground so to be appropriated be sufficient and convenient for the pub- lic purposes aforesaid, and as little detrimental as possible to the proprietors and owners of contiguous lots and build- ings ; which assurance and conveyance of the grounds, as aforesaid, the said trustees, or any three of them, shall take in the name of the commonwealth, in trust, and for the use and benefit of the said county of Huntingdon, and thereupon erect a court house and prison, sufficient to accommodate the public service of said county."
The townships then within the county were Huntingdon, Barree, Tyrone, Frankstown, Hopewell, Woodberry, Shirley and Dublin, in addition to which the town of Huntingdon formed a separate district. These had formed the whole or parts of the third, fifth and sixth election districts in Bed- ford county. No changes were made in the extent or boun- daries of these districts by the act erecting the county, ex- cept that two of them-the third and sixth-were divided by the line separating Huntingdon and Bedford counties, part of them remaining in the latter. The places of holding elections in the former were fixed or removed; that for the third district to the house of George Clugage, in Hunting- don ; for the fifth district, to Shirley township ; and for the sixth district, to the house of David Lowrey, in Tyrone township. In calculating the distances that voters were re- quired to travel in those days for the privilege of depositing their ballots, we must remember that the area of the county was then almost twice as great as at present, part of it having since been taken in the formation of Centre, Cam- bria and Blair counties. These three voting places may seem to have been a small number for so large a territory,
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