USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County : to which is prefixed a brief sketch of the early history of Pennsylvania > Part 25
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Successfully to repel the insurgents, the Governor and provincial commissioners raised twenty-five companies, amounting to fourteen hundred men .¿ Nine of these
*Governor Morris of Pennsylvania, thought proper by pro- clamation, to declare war against all Indian nations who should persist in so doing ; offering one hundred and fifty dollars for every hostile Delaware Indian taken alive, and one hundred and thirty dollars for every scalp, inviting at the same time, all those who laid down the hatchet, to meet at a treaty of peace .- Heckewelder's Nar. 50.
+Heckewelder's Narrative.
#It appears the government was somewhat remiss in timely action. Intelligence arrived at Philadelphia, April 13, 1756, that the people of the back counties were about to meet at Lancaster to march to Philadelphia, and make some demands of the legislature in session. The 15th of the same month Mr. Chew and others were sent by the governor to persuade the people to desist. April 21, Mr. Chew and others returned from Lancaster; and the governor summoned the Assembly for the 10th of May .- Haz. Pa. Reg. V. 287.
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companies were commanded by Lieut. Colonel Conrad Weiser; they were stationed at different points, to meet the exigencies of the time and place, one at Fort Augusta; one at Hunter's mill, seven miles above Harrisburg, on the Susquehanna; one-half company on the Swatara, at the foot of the North Mountain; one company and a half at Fort Henry, close to the gap of the mountain, called Tothea Gap; one company at Fort William, near the forks of the Schuylkill river, six miles beyond the mountain; one company at Fort Allen, at Gnadenhutten, a Moravian settlement : the other three companies were scattered between the rivers Lehigh and Delaware, at the disposition of the captains, some at farm-houses, others at mills, from three to twenty in a place. Major James Burd and Colonel Armstrong, had the command of the other companies; these were principally sta- tioned west of the Susquehanna .* "The Shawanese and Delaware Indians, stimulated and abetted by the French, kept up their hostilities, till 1757, when negotiations for peace commenced with Teedyuscung, the chief of the Delaware and Shawanese tribes, on the Susquehanna, their fury abated. But the French and Western Indians, still roamed in small parties over the country, committing murders. The counties of Cumberland, Berks, North- ampton and Lancaster, were, during the spring and summer months, of 1757, kept in continual alarm,t and
.
*Gordon's Pa.
+March 29, 1757, the Indians made a breach at Rocky Springs, where one man was killed and eleven taken prisoners. April 2d, 1757, William McKinnie and his son were killed near Chambers's fort. April 17th, Jeremiah Jack, near Potomac, was taken captive, and two of his sons killed, and a man and woman were drowned in the Potomac, while endeavoring to escape. April 23d, John Martin and William Blair were
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some of the savage scalping parties were pushed on, to within thirty miles of Philadelphia."
Several Indian treaties were held, in 1757; one at Lancaster," in May; another at Easton, in August. At
killed, and Patrick McClelland wounded in the shoulder, who afterwards died of his wound, near Maxwell's fort, on Cono- cocheague creek. May 14th, Major Campbell and one Tussey. were killed or taken captive, with fourteen others, near Potomac. May 12, John Martin and Andrew Paul, both old men, were taken from Conococheague. May 13, two men killed, near McCormick's fort, Conodoguinet. May 16, eleven -
persons killed at Paxton, Lancaster county. June 9, James Holiday, and fourteen men killed and taken; James Long's son and another man, killed in a quarry at Fort Frederick .- Nineteen men killed in a mill at Quitipihilla, Lancaster county, and four were killed in Shearman's valley ; all done in one week. June 6, two men were killed, and five taken prisoners, near Shippensburg. July 18, six men killed or taken from a field, near Shippensburg. July 19, nineteen men killed and taken while reaping in a field, near Shippensburg. August 17, William Waugh's barn was burnt, in the Tract, York county, by Indians. September 9, one boy and girl taken from Donegal, Lancaster county. October 1 and 2, a very great slaughter, near Opiken, in Virginia, where more than sixty were killed and taken. November 9, John Woods, his wife and mother-in-law, and John Archer's wife were killed, four children taken, and nine men killed, near McDowell's fort .- Loudon's Narrative, II. 200-208.
* At the treaty held, May 29, 1757, between Governor Denny and the Indians of the Six Nations, they complained of grievances, and assigned a few causes of disaffection.
" Brothers, some years ago, in the Jerseys, one of the head of the Delawares had been out hunting. On his return, he called to see a gentleman, a friend of his, one of your people, whom he found in the field: when the gentlemen saw him, he came to meet him. It was rainy weather, and the Delaware chief had his gun under his arm ; they met at a fence, and as they reached their hands to each other, the Delaware's gun went
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the latter, three hundred Indians, representations of ten tribes, chiefly from the Susquehanna, (those on the Ohio were not included) with their chief, Teedyuscung, at- tended. Before departing from the treaty, they not only
off, by accident, and shot him dead. He was very much grieved, went to the house, and told the gentleman's wife what had happened; and said, he was willing to die, and did not choose to live after his friend. She immediately sent for a number of the inhabitants : when they were gathered, some said it was an accident, and could not be helped; but the greatest number were for hanging him; and he was taken by the sheriff, and carried to Amboy, where he was tried and hanged.
" There was another misfortune happened : a party of the Shawanese, who were going to war against their enemies, in their way through Carolina, called at a house, not suspecting any harm, as they were among their friends : a number of the inhabitants rose and took them prisoners, on account of some mischief which was done them about that time; suspecting them to be the people who had done the mischief; and carried them to Charleston, and put them in prison, where the chief man, called " The Pride," died.
"The relations of those people were much exasperated against you, our brothers, the English, on account of the ill treatment you gave their friends; and have been continually spiriting up their nations to take revenge.
" Brothers, you desired us to open our hearts, and inform you of every thing we knew that might have given rise to the quarrel between you and our nephews and brothers: That, in former times, our fore-fathers conquered the Delawares, and put petticoats on them ; a long time after that, they lived among you, our brothers ; but, upon some difference between you and them, we thought proper to remove them, giving them lands to plant and hunt on, at Wyoming and Juniata, on the Susquehanna: but you, covetous of land, made plantations there, and spoiled their hunting grounds; they then com- plained to us, and we looked over those lands, and found their complaints to be true.
" At this time they carried on a correspondence with the 29*
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agreed to a cessation of hostilities against the provin- cialists, but agreed to take up arms against the French. A definite treaty, however, was not held between the English and Indians, before the month of October, 1748, when a convention was held at Easton with the Indians, which lasted from the 17th to the 26th of that month .- There were present, on the part of the English, the Go- vernors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with Sir Wil- liam Johnson, and other agents. The Indians who assisted at this treaty, were the Mohawks, Oneidas,
French ; by which means the French became acquainted with all the causes of complaint they had against you ; and as your people were daily increasing their settlements, and by these means you drove them back into the arms of the French; and they took the advantage of spiriting them up against you, by telling them, ' Children, you see, and we have often told you, how the English, your brothers, serve you ; they plant all the. co untry, and drive you back ; so that, in a little time, you will have no land : it is not so with us; though we build trading houses on your lands, we do not plant; we have our provisions from over the great water.'
' We have opened our hearts, and told you what complaints we have heard that they had against you ; and our advice to you is, that you send for the Senecas and for them ; treat them kindly, and rather give them part of their fields back again than differ with them. It is in your power to settle all the differences with them, if you please.'-Minutes of the Indian Treaties.
" King Feaver was also present, and made a speech : ‘When our Great Father came first, we stood on the Indian's path; we looked to the sun as he rose in the east; we gave the English venison; the English gave us many, many good things ; but the English trod on our toes-we turned our faces to the west-the English trod on our heels-we walked on- the English followed-we walked on, not knowing where to rest-the English were at our heels. Father, we are weary; we wish to rest.'"
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Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, Tuscaroras, Nanticokes, Conoys, Tuteloes, Chugnuts, Delawares, Unamies, Mini- sinks, Mohicons, and Wappingers, whose deputies, with their women and children, amounted to 507 .* Peace and friendship had now been established between the English and Indians; all fear of an Indian war van- ished, and the minds of the people had been at rest for some time; but the French war still continued, and occa- sional barbarities were committed upon the frontier set- tlers, by the Indians, till near the close of the war be- tween the English and the French, in 1762 ;t "for there had been a secret confederacy formed among the Shawa- nese, the tribes upon the Ohio and its tributary waters, and about Detroit, to attack, simultaneously, all the English posts and settlements on the frontiers. Their plan was deliberately and skilfully projected. The border settlements were to be invaded during harvest, the men, corn, and cattle, to be destroyed, and the out-posts to be reduced by famine, by cutting off their supplies .- Pursuant to this plan, the Indians fell suddenly upon the traders, whom they had invited among them, mur- dering many, and plundered the effects of all, to an immense value.
*Holmes' An. II. 86.
+July 1, 1757, three men and four children, were murdered and scalped in the vicinity of Tulpehocken. The Rev. John Nicholas Kurtz, pastor of the Lutheran congregation, at Tul- pehocken, in writing to the Rev. Muhlenberg, pastor of the Lutheran congregation at New Providence, under date of July 5, 1757, says: Diesen Morgen, wurden sieben ermordete und gescalpte, nemlich drey Maenner and vier Kinder, zur Beerdigung auf unsern Kirchhof gebracht, so gestern bey Sonnen Untergang, fuenf Meilen von hier von den Indianern umgebracht worden, und alle in einem Hause !
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"The frontiers of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir- ginia, were overrun by scalping parties, marking their way with blood and devastation."*
"The upper part of Cumberland was overrun by the savages, in 1763, who set fire to houses, barns, corn, hay andevery thing that was combustible; the inhabitants were surprised and murdered with the utmost cruelty and bar- barity. Those who could, escaped-some to Shippens- burg, others to Carlisle, where houses and stables were crowded with refugees. Many of them sought shelter (in Lancaster county) in the woods, with their families, and with their cattle.t Some staid with their relatives,
*April 2d, 1758, two men were killed near Shippensburg .- Apsil 5, one man killed and ten taken, near Black's Gap, on the South mountain. April 13, one man killed and nine taken near Archibald Bard's South mountain. May 21, one man and five women taken from Yellow Breeches creek. May 23, Joseph Gallady killed, his wife and one child taken from Conoco- cheague. May 29, 1759, one Dunwiddie and Crawford shot by two Indians, in Carrol's tract, York county. July 20, a boy was plowing at Swatara, was shot by two Indians, one horse killed, and the other wounded .- Loudon's Narrative.
NOTE .- It was apprehended that the Indians of Conestoga were becoming restless. In May, 1758, intelligence was re- ceived at Philadelphia that the Indians at Conestoga designed to move off to the woods-a message was sent them-May 3, some of the Indians arrived, at Philadelphia, from Conestoga -they stated, in conference, that they did not intend leaving Conestoga, though some had gone to Susquehanna. They had thought of going to Susquehanna to hunt and trade .- Will Sock, Chazrea and others of them, gave Conrad Weiser the news of Indian incursions .- Haz. Reg. V. 272.
t"In July, 1763, the reapers of Lancaster county took their guns and ammunition with them into the harvest fields to de- fend themselves from the Indians. " -- Lan. Intell. & Jour.
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and never returned to the place from which they had fled .*
" After the first panic had passed away, the refugee. settlers associated themselves together, and under the care of divisions of the regular troops and militia, succeeded in collecting and saving the remnant of their crops."
In the latter end of August, a party of volunteers from Lancaster county, one hundred and ten in number, intercepted at Muncy hill, a number of Indians, pro- ceeding from Great Island, in the Susquehanna, to the frontier settlements. In several skirmishes with the Indians, the Lancasterians killed twelve of them-four of their own men were killed, and a like number wounded.
After General Forbes had taken possession of Fort Du Quesne, November 25, 1758, and garrisoned it by men, chiefly provincial troops, from Pennsylvania, Mary-
*The following we copied at the Donegal church: "In mem- ory of William McDowell, late of Conecacheague, who was a tender parent and careful instructor, and an example of piety to a numerous progeny. When the settlement was obliged to fly by the barbaro us Indian war, he deceased in these parts .- So was interred here September 12, 1759, aged 77."
NOTE .- Extracts from letters to James Hamilton, Esq. dated Carlisle, July 3d and 5th, 1763, signed Henry Boquet :
If the measures I had the honor to recommend to you in my letter of yesterday, are not immediately put into execution, I foresee the rnin of the posts of the province on this side of the Susquehanna; and as York county would be covered by Cumberland, I think they ought to assist in building the post, and sowing the harvest. It would not be the less necessary to send arms and ammunition to be distributed among the in- habitants for the protection of the reapers.
May, 5. The road was nearly covered with women and chil- dren flying to Lancaster and Philadelphia.
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land and Virginia, under the command of Colonel Mercer, many of the other soldiers were marched into the interior, and quartered at Lancaster, Reading and Phi- ladelphia, the soldiers were quartered or billetted among the inhabitants, who complained grievously of the men, and the caprice, favor and oppression, of the officers. The assembly, having remonstrated in vain on these enormities, directed a barracks to be erected, 1759, in the town of Lancaster, to contain 500 men .- Mr. Bausman was appointed Barrack master .*
The influence of war is ever pernicious to the morals of society-the train of evils consequent upon war are baleful. Lancaster county felt its effects, not only in the shape of burdens and taxest upon the industrious por- tion of its inhabitants. The true condition of the state of morals, and the fruits of war, may be learnt from a petition presented to the Assembly, in 1763, praying the Legislature for the passage of an Act for erecting a House of Correction. The preamble to the Act, recites part of the petition :
WHEREAS, It hath been represented to this House, by petitioners from a considerable number of inhabitants of the borough and county of Lancaster, that they now, and for a long time, have suffered most grievously, as well by unruly, disobedient servants, as by idle strolling vagrants from divers parts, who have taken shelter in the county and borough; that drunkenness, profane swearing, breach of the Sabbath, tumults, and other vices, so much prevail, that it is not in the power of the
*Gordon ; Haz. Reg.
tThe tax assessed in Lancaster county in 1760, amounted to upwards of sixteen thousand dollars. The land estimated in the county to be 436,346 acres. Taxables 5,635, £1. 2s. to each taxable; amounted to £6,178 10s.
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magistrates to suppress them, and preserve peace and good order, having no house of correction for the punish- ment of such offenders. A law was passed-a house of correction, or work house, erected. "This was the work house in which the Indians were ' despatched' by the Paxton Rangers, Tuesday, the 27th of December, 1763.
For several successive winters, and especially in the year 1763, the frost was severe upon the winter and summer grain, in the low lands and limestone soil .- This circumstance, and the heavy timber, induced many of the Irish to seat themselves, in 1763, along the northern line of the counties of Chester and Lancaster, well known at an early period by the name of Chestnut Glade. The Germans purchased their little improve- ments, and were not intimidated either by the difficulty of clearing their lands, the scarcity of water, and the liability of frost which, at this period, was experienced every month of the year .*
About the year 1760 or 61, Mr. Steigel, who managed the Elizabeth iron works for many years, when they were owned by Benezet & Co. of Philadelphia, commenced his singular career. He was well known as the eccentric German Baron, or Wilhelm Heinrich Steigel, proprietor of Manheim. Having purchased two hundred acres of land from the Messrs. Stedmans of Philadelphia, he erected a grand chateau, (castle) very singular in its structure,t and afterwards laid out a town, to which he
*Haz. Reg. V. 12.
+This house is now occupied by Mr. John Arndt, merchant, who, we state it with regret, in improving the house, made such alterations that the original of the internal arrangement is so materially altered as to leave neither the Baron's pulpit, from which, in a large upper saloon, he, in the capacity of a preacher,
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gave the name of his place of nativity-MANHEIM .- > This town was laid out in 1761, and in 1762, contained three houses. One of his countrymen, Mr. Andrew Bartruff, father of Colonel John Bartruff, erected the third house in the town-he kept the first grocery .*
To give encouragement to the inhabitants of the place, and to advance his own interest, as proprietor, the Baron erected a glass house, where the manufacture of the article of glass, in all its varieties, was successfully carried on for some years, by Steigel himself, and afterwards by a Mr. Jenkins. Nothing remains of the glass house .- The place where it stood is still pointed out, to the enquir- ing visitants, by the attentive and courteous inhabitants of Manheim.
In 1761, William Adams laid out Adamstown. First holders of lots were Bicher, Eichholtz, Fansler, Negle, Kearn, Richards, Brendle, Steffs, Flickinger, Schlough, Reager and others.
addressed his hands employed at the glass factory ; nor are other fixtures any longer visible. What remains of the inter- nal, has not its like, in the United States. Its rich scenery painting of falconry on the sides of the room walls-the tab- lets of china, curiously painted and fastened on the jambs, at- tract and excite the admiration of all who have the pleasure of spending a few moments with the hospitable and affable owner of the house.
The Baron was, as well as his fortune, singular. His vicissitudes in life were varied. He was Baron in Europe-an iron master, glass manufacturer, a preacher, a teacher-rich and poor, in America. He died a schoolmaster. At liberty ; and imprisoned. A special act was passed forhis relief, De- cember 24, 1774. So gehts dem Mensch.
*Among the first settlers of the place were, besides those already mentioned, the Naumans, Minnichs, Wherlys, Kaisers, Longs, Hentzelmans, who kept the first tavern. About the town were the Lightners, Reists, Hershys, Hostetters, Lehmans, Longeneckers, Brandts, Witmers, Hellars and others.
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NOTES .- In 1757 Elizabeth township was erected-then bounded : beginning at the land of Joseph Cratser, bounding upon Heidleberg, thence by the same to Cocalico township, thence by Cocalico to Warwick, thence by the same to the place of beginning.
January 10th, 1759, Christian Frederick Post arrived at the town of Lancaster, from his journey to the Indians on Ohio, to whom he had gone to deliver a message from Governor Denny. Post had started from Easton, for Ohio, Oct. 25, 1758.
July 13th, 1760, Conrad Weiser, the Indian agent, died in Heidleberg township, Berks county.
1760, Emauuel Carpenter was appointed Presiding justice of the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster county. He filled this office until 1780, the time of his death. "He lived beloved and died lamented by all. He was in every sense an honest man ; always just, liberal and tolerant. He was an arbiter in all matters of dispute among his neighbors; and from his deci- sions they never appealed, such was the confidence of his integrity."
He left a numerous connection of relatives and friends. His remains rest in Zimmerman's grave yard, near Earlville, at whose side rest those of his consort, Catharine Line, who died 1785. Their lineal descendants are many, and are to be found in the names of the Carpenters, Groffs, Ferrees, Reigarts, M'Cleerys and others.
"In 1761, the inhabitants of Tulpehocken and Heidleberg townships, raised 150 men as rangers, to guard the county lines of Berks and Lancaster."
1762, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, two able and inge- nious mathematicians, after their return from Good Hope Cape, were employed to run the line so long the subject of angry con- troversy. The business was accordingly performed agreeably to directions, and stone pillars erected to exhibit clearly, and fix with certainty the long disputed boundary.
Maytown was laid out May 1st, 1762, by Mr. Doner. To cele- brate the day of laying out Maytown, a fair, " a gathering of loose heels," was held, and dancing performed in its best style, in the middle of the main street in the " houseless town." It is to be regretted that the dance could not have been performed
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in the absence of human beings, as well as in the absence of houses.
" An Indian conference was held, August 9, 1762, and a treaty made at Lancaster, which restored, for a short period, the tran- quility of the inhabitants."
Members of Assembly from Lancaster county, 1761 and 1762- Emanuel Carpenter, James Wright, James Webb, John Doug- lass. 1763, Isaac Saunders and those before named, except James Webb. 1764, James Webb, and those of 1763 except. John Douglass.
CHAPTER VII.
Tendency of war-Hostilities continued-Lancaster county exposed to Indian incursions, &c .- Treachery of the Conestoga Indians-Paxton' and Donegal Rangers watch the Indians closely-The Paxton Boys surprize the Indians at Conestoga-Indian villagers massacred-Those abroad taken under protection by the magistrates of Lancaster-Governor" Penn's proclamation-The Paxton Boys at Lancaster; massacre the In- dians-Governor Penn issues another proclamation-The Paxton Boys grow desperate, and " show up some Indian"-Resort to Philadelphia- Their non-commendable conduct there-They return peaceably to their homes, leaving two of their number to represent their grievances to the: Assembly.
IN war, and in the midst of the calamities of war, the ordinary sympathies of our nature seem to forsake man. In the savage, war whets the destructive propensities, and his thirst to shed blood increases in ardency as the number of his victims swells. Total extirpation only cir- cumscribes his sphere of slaughter; hence, the indis- criminate murders of the innocent and the guilty, by the savage. War makes demi-savages of the civilized, and the demi-savage, though he formerly felt his whole soul thrilled at hearing of, or seeing, the murder of one single individual, in turn, when inured to the miseries of war, can listen to the report of countless murders as an amusing
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tale, and be prepared to resent to the utmost every wrong ; avenge himself in the destruction of those whom he believes to be aggressors, or mere abettors. Of this, we have a striking case in the "cruelties reciprocally committed " among the whites and Indians upon each other, during the bloody times of the middle of the last century. Hostilities were kept up by the Indians, and barbarities committed, calculated to excite the calmest to revenge the wrongs which the inhabitants of Lan- caster and the adjacent counties, suffered at the hands of hostile Indians, from 1754 to 1765 .* Those whose path was marked, wherever they went among the whites, " with cruelty and murder," were called hostile Indians, to distinguish them from the peaceable ones, residing at Conestoga, Nain and Wichetung.
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