USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of Perry County, in Pennsylvania : from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 2
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In July 1756, a small party of Indians attacked the plantations of Robert Baskins, who lived near the present railroad station of the Pennsylvania Central, at the mouth of Juniata river. They mur- dered Baskins, burnt his house, and carried his wife and children away with them as prisoners. An- other party belonging to the same band made Hugh Carrol and his family prisoners.
At another time, the Indians murdered a family of seven persons on Sherman's creek, and then passed over the Kittatinny at Sterret's Gap, wound- ed a man, killed a horse, and captured Mrs. Boyle, her two sons and a daughter living on Conadogui- net creek.
The following is from Robert Robinson's nar-
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
rative: "From 1761 to 1763 there was compara- tive quiet and security from the incursions of the Indians."
The number of settlers increased rapidly, and much land was secured by location right.
In June, 1763, the plan was matured for a con- cert of action among all the Indians upon every British post, but it was the 5th of July, and Sabbath day, when they came to the house of William White on the Juniata. It was harvest time, and the reapers were resting on the floor, when the Indians crept up close to the door and shot them while in that position. They killed William White and all his family that were there, excepting one boy, who, when he heard the guns leaped out of the window and made his escape. The reapers all escaped through the back door excepting William Riddle. Some swam the river; others escaped in different directions. Riddle, hardly conscious of what he was doing, walked toward the front door, where a savage met him and fired his gun, but the ball grazing him he was fortunately enabled after- ward to escape by flight. This marauding party consisted of ten or twelve of the Shawnee tribe.
The same band of Indians stealthily approached the house of Robert Campbell and fired at the per- sons in the house. James Campbell was wounded in the wrist and taken prisoner, but there is no au- thentic account of any person being killed. Im- mediately after the Indians had discharged their rifles, one of them sprang into the house, and with uplifted tomahawk rushed upon a bed on which
-
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
George Dodds was resting, but fortunately his rifle was within reach, which he grasped and fired at random, wounding him in the groin. The Indians retreated and Dodds went up-stairs and escaped hastily through an opening in the roof. He went immediately to Sherman's Valley and spread the alarm. He came to William Dickson's, who sent a young man to inform the Elliots, who were then at Edward Elliot's farm harvesting.
This same marauding party of Indians proceeded up Tuscarora Valley until they came to the house of William Anderson. The old man was seated at the table with the open Bible on his lap, conduct- ing the evening worship, while his son and an adopted daughter were around him. They shot the old man, and tomahawked and scalped his son and adopted daughter. Two brothers named Christy, and a man named Graham, who lived near Mr. Anderson, hearing the firing of guns at his place, fled and reached Sherman's Valley about midnight. Their report spread new terror and alarm among the settlers. In order to save Collins' and James Scott's families, who lived farther up the valley and had returned to reap their harvests, twelve men volunteered to go over into the upper end of Tuscarora Valley.
They went by Bingham's Gap, the outlet of Liberty Valley, and reached the valley early on Monday morning. When they came to Collins' they saw by a broken wheel and their bark spoons where they had breakfasted on water gruel, that the In- dians had been there, and that there, were thirteen of
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
them. They tracked the savages down to Jas. Scott's, where they had killed some fowls. Continuing on, they came to Graham's; there the house was on fire and burned down to the joists. Here the men were divided into two parties, of which William Robinson was the captain of one, and Robert Rob- inson, the narrator, led the other. These parties made a circuit, but found that the Indians had just left. They were joined here by the party of eleven or twelve Indians, who came up the valley. Be- fore leaving Graham's the Indians killed four hogs, dined heartily and at leisure, being satisfied that there were none of the settlers west of the Tusca- rora Mountains who would pursue them. From this place the Indians crossed over the Tuscarora into Perry county. The pursuers took the path by way of Run Gap, north of Ickesburg. The two paths met at Nickolson's farm where the In- dians arrived first, and being apprised of their pur- suers approaching, they lay in ambush for them. They had the first fire, and being twenty-five in number and only twelve white men in pursuit, they killed five and wounded Robert Robinson. The particulars of this engagement are given by Robert Robinson, whom we have just mentioned as one of the participators, as follows :
" William Robinson was shot in the abdomen with buckshot. John Elliot, a boy of seventeen, fired his gun and then ran, loading as best he could by pouring powder into it at random and push- ing a ball into it with his finger, while he was pur- sued by an Indian with uplifted tomahawk, and
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
when he was within a short distance of him Elliot suddenly turned around and shot the Indian in the breast, who gave a cry of pain, and turning fled. Elliot had gone but a short distance when he came to William Robinson, who was weltering in his own blood upon the ground, and evidently in the ago- nies of death. He begged Elliot to carry him off so that the Indians would not find and scalp him ; but Elliot being a mere boy found it utterly im- possible to do so, much less lift him from the ground. Finding the willing efforts of his young friend fruitless to save him from the savages, Rob- inson said, 'Take my gun, and if ever in war or peace you have an opportunity to shoot an Indian with it, do so for my sake! "
Thomas Robinson stood behind a tree firing and loading as rapidly as possible, until the last white man had fled. He had just fired his third shot when his position was revealed to the Indians. In his hurried attempt to load again, he exposed his right arm, which received the balls from the guns of three Indians who fired at the same time. He then fled up a hill with his gun grasped in his left hand, until he came to a large log which he at- tempted to leap over by placing his left hand on it; but just as he was stooping to make the leap a bullet passed through his side. He fell across the log. The Indians coming up beat him on the head with the butts of their guns until he was mutilated in the most horrible manner possible. John Graham and David Miller were found dead near each other, not far from the place of attack. Graham's head was 2
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
resting upon his hands, while the blood streamed through his fingers. Charles Elliot and Edward McConnel succeeded in escaping from the Indians and reached Buffalo creek, but they were so close- ly pursued that when they had crossed the creek and were scrambling up the bank they were shot and fell back into the water where their dead bo- dies were found.
This little band of twelve, whose Spartan bravery is scarcely equaled in all the history of Indian and border warfare, consisted of three brothers Robin- son, William, Robert and Thomas; two brothers Elliot, John and Charles; two brothers Christy, William and James; John Graham, David Miller, Edward McConnel, William McAllister and John Nickolson.
After this engagement, the Indians proceeded very leisurely to Alexander Logan's, feeling their security, no doubt, on account of the inhabitants having fled to the lower part of Sherman's Valley.
A party of forty men, well armed and disciplined, started for Tuscarora Valley to bury the dead; but when they came to Buffalo creek, and saw them, having previously heard the reports of the settlers, which doubtless increased the number of the In- dians, the captain thought it prudent to return. In the meantime the six men who escaped in the en- gagement at Nickolson's went to Carlisle, and re- ported what they saw and experienced, whereupon a party of fifty volunteered to go in quest of the savages. They were commanded by High Sheriff Dunning and William Lyon. From the best in-
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
formation that could be had of the Indians, it was judged that they would visit Logan's to plunder and kill the cattle. The men were ambushed and in readiness. when the Indians appeared, but owing to the eagerness in commencing the attack by some of the party, but four or five Indians were either killed or mortally wounded, until they made their escape into the thick woods, whither pursuit was deemed too perilous. Previous to this engage- ment, Alexander Logan and his son John, Charles Coyle, William Hamilton and Bartholomew Davis, hearing of the advance of Sheriff Dunning's party, followed the Indians to George McCord's, where they found and attacked them in the barn, but the attack was such a precipitate affair that none of the savages were either killed or wounded, while the entire attacking party, excepting Bartholomew Davis, paid the penalty with their lives. Davis escaped and joined Sheriff Dunning's party, and was engaged with them at Logan's. In the en- gagement at Logan's there was but one white man wounded. The soldiers brought with them what cattle they could collect, but great numbers were killed, and many of the horses were taken away by the Indians.
The Indians set fire to the houses and barns, de- stroyed the growing corn, and burnt the grain in the shock, and the hay in the stacks, so that the whole valley seemed to be one general blaze of conflagration as far as they went. The distress of the settlers of Sherman's and Tuscarora valleys can better be imagined than described. They were
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
reduced from a plentiful and independent people to real objects of charity and commiseration within the short space of one week. Carlisle was the only barrier between the frontier settlers and the merciless savages, and it so crowded that every stable and shelter in the town was filled to its ut- most capacity, and on either side of the Susque- hanna the woods were the only shelter of many other refugee families, who had fled thither with their cattle, and whatever of their effects could be hastily collected and carried with them.
On the 25th of July, there were in Shippensburg 1,384 refugees from the settlements north of the Kittatinny, who were obliged to sleep in barns, sheds and temporary shelters.
To relieve these sufferers, the Episcopal, Christ's and St. Peter's churches, of Philadelphia, collected an amount of money equal to $2,942.89 in the cur- rency of the present time, which was expended in supplying flour, rice and medicine for the immedi- ate relief of the sufferers. To enable those who chose to return to their homes, two chests of arms, half a barrel of powder, four hundred pounds of swan shot, and one thousand flints, were purchased. These were to be sold at greatly reduced prices to such persons as would use them for their own defense.
Induced by an offer which placed protection in their own hands, the settlers returned to their for- mer homes, where they lived in constant dread of the wily foe until Bouquet occupied Fort Duquesne, on the 24th of November, 1764. At this time the
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
French and their savage allies were compelled to sue for the peace, which placed the frontier settlers of Perry and Juniata counties in conscious security from Indians ever afterward.
Rev. David Brainerd, in speaking of the Shaw- nese who lived on Duncan's Island, stigmatizes them as "drunken, vicious and profane." They journeyed from the south, say their traditions, and had no doubt inherited the vices of the various tribes with whom they contended in their wander- ings northward, and hence, were ever ready to carry out the murderous designs of the French.
We have just learned what a scourge these In- dians were to the frontier settlers of our own and neighboring counties, but we have scarce given in these pages a tithe of the suffering they caused, for they prowled about, night and day, seeking the unsuspecting moment to strike a fatal blow.
The record made by the sons of Perry during the Revolutionary struggle will be found in chrono- logical order, under " The War Record." It is wor- thy of a people who had so recently passed the trials of which these pages bear a record.
Settlers occupied the lands from time to time in Pfoutz's Valley, along the Juniata, and in Sherman's Valley.
The first land located by order from the Land Office, in Pfoutz's Valley, was by John Pfoutz, in 1755. He was the first considerable land owner, by any right, hence had the honor of giving his name to the valley. This valley was principally a German settlement. The Germans either entered
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
the lands themselves, at the Land Office, or bought them second-hand from the pioneer Scotch-Irish who moved farther west.
Pfoutz's Valley is still characteristically a Ger- man settlement, though there are many persons unable to converse in any but the English language. For our fertile soil the German is slowly exchang- ing his language ; his children receive an English education, in the free schools, without dissent. In fact, many of our best scholars were the children of German parents.
Pfoutz's Valley has a Lutheran, a Reformed and a Methodist church, with public worship frequently held in the school-houses.
Although the soil of Perry county was first set- tled by English-speaking people, the farming pop- ulation is now largely composed of German origin.
The first settlement of Wildcat Valley, known as the settlements of the Juniata, were on the place now owned by James Patterson, by Joshua North, Esq., who owned a tannery where the stone farm-house now stands. Martin Derr settled the property on which Capt. Joseph Ulsh now resides. The Jacob Leas property was located and improved by William North. John Shuman first improved, though David Miller was the patentee of the land, the Shuman property. He built the mill which is still known as " Shuman's mill." Conrad Steiger first settled and improved the property now owned by Henry Martin. Davy Crockett settled the farm recently owned by John Marshall. Daniel Baker made the improvement rights on the farms owned
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
by Henry Nipple and Benjamin Long. John Sweezy settled the David Sarver farm. John Betz settled the property owned by Reuben Grubb.
Old Mr. Ellmaker of the third generation, back from Enos and Reuben, who emigrated to Iowa when young men, and have since removed to the Willamette Valley, Oregon, was the pioneer settler of the properties now owned by David Buchanan, John Grubb and Wesley M. Cauffman. Charles Wright, Sen., cleared the farm out of the woods which is now owned by George Wright. The places mentioned were the oldest settled portions of the valley, and do not date back further than the close of the Revolutionary War, when many emigrants from the eastern portion of the State re- moved west of the Blue Mountains. There are three churches in the valley, Christ's Lutheran, in Liverpool township, built in 1844; Liberty Hall church, and Wright's church, in Greenwood twp.
Lewis's Forge was east of Millerstown, on Cocal- amus creek, in Pfoutz's Valley, and from all we can learn was operated as early as 1800. The old forge hammer, broken through the eye, still remains in the dried-up race, while the stone abutment breastwork of the dam, on the east side of the creek, may still be seen. During our boyhood days the cabins were occupied by negroes.
The " old forge." with the legend variously told (the following is the substance of the various ver- sions) of the Devil's Hole, about a mile distant, gave .
our daily cow-hunts an interest, and ofttimes a dread that will not soon be forgotten.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
The legend of Forge Hill has sufficient local in- terest to claim the following recital : Before Lewis's forge was in operation, it is related that the devil contracted with three men to prepare him an under- ground dwelling, and secure him a black sheep, without a white spot on it, until he should come to examine them. A specified time was agreed upon for the completion of this subterranean abode, for which, and the sheep, the builders were to receive a half-bushel of silver dollars. The work was completed, the sheep secured, and the laborers awaited the coming of his satanic majesty. Pre- cisely at the appointed time the devil appeared in the air, showing his cloven foot, to the no little dis- comfit of the builders, as he alighted at the open door of his intended abode. Hé proceeded to an examination of the building which was constructed underground of logs, and covered with earth, so that it might appear at the surface nothing more than an elevation of the summit of a hill, requiring a sesame to open it. The abode was pronounced satisfactory ; when the sheep was produced with the greatest confidence that it was black enough to sat- isfy the requirements. Imagine their utter astonish- ment when the devil no sooner saw the sheep than he demanded one of them, declaring that it was not without a white spot, as agreed upon, and in order to convince the contractors that such was the case he lifted it from its feet and turned it upon its back, when, lo, the white spot was there. This so alarm- ed one of the men, who was a Dutchman, that he began to cry out : "Heilig Yasu ! Heilig Yasu !"
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
whereupon his insulted devilship departed, taking with him the half bushel of money, leaving the chagrined builders in a bewildered condition, one of whom it is said remained insane during the rest of his life.
This is briefly the legend which has been handed down from parents to children, and firmly believed. It probably had no better foundation in fact than that this so-called Devil's Hole was a robbers' cave.
As a sequel to the Indian history of this chapter, we present the following sketch :
Simon Girty (spelled Girtee in the old records) was born and raised in the Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania. His parents were Swiss Germans, and were much addicted to the use of strong drink and gambling, both of which became characteristics of Simon. It was, doubtless, owing to the fact that Simon Girty's parents taught him by example these bad habits, and left him no legacy but one of dis- honor, that he forsook the settlements to serve with young Simon Kenton on the frontiers. He joined the Virginia militia, and seemed anxious to distin- guish himself as a soldier. He was disappointed in being promoted, and instead, through the influ- ence of his colonel, publicly disgraced. He fled from the settlements and took up his abode along with a number of others on Sherman's creek, but here he was again followed by the whites, wl .. burnt his cabin in 1750, and turned him loose to roam the wilds as an outcast under the bans of the law. He took up his abode with the Wyandotte Indians, with whom he lived a foe to the whites,
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
more cruel and relentless than his adopted people. He made frequent incursions from the Wyan- dotte settlement to the Susquehanna. He is said to have slept during his stay at Halffall Hills in a cave next the river in the end of the mountain. He came here for the purpose of watching the whites at Fort Halifax from the top of this moun- tain. The narrow channel in the river at the end of Halffall Hills was named Girty's Notch. The traveler is reminded of his approach to the notch as he descends the river by the sign "Girty's Notch Hotel."
The subsequent career of this notorious man is rather uncertain. It is probable that he was killed by Col. Clayton, in Kentucky. It is related that Girty stole Clayton's wife from his home while the latter was with Forbes and Bouquet in the expedi- tion against Fort Duquesne in 1757 and '58. Clayton returned home after the war to find that his wife had been stolen by an Indian, which he di- vined to be Girty, whereupon he pursued the rene- gade with a savage thirst for revenge, and finally met the despoiler of his household on "the dark and bloody soil of Kentucky," where, in a desperate contest, Girty was slain.
Raccoon Valley, Rye township, Cumberland county, was settled by the Blacks, Nobles and Robinsons, in the order named, from the Juniata.
In this selection certain distinctions gave prece- dence of location.
Their pastor, Rev. Wm. B. Linn, having the preference, chose his portion near Robinson's
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Fort; the father of the Irvin families, in Saville township, chose their old mansion property ; he was joined by Elliot's on the west, and he in turn by a younger man, until we reach the Robinson, Noble and Black farms in Raccoon Valley, extend- ing to the Juniata river. This chain of settlements extended more than twenty miles, and included some of the best and most highly respected citizens of the county. It is historic for its ar- rangement of families in chronological order, as well as the noble record made during every war in which its own or the general welfare was en- dangered.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
CHAPTER II.
FORMATION OF PERRY COUNTY.
Cumberland county was formed out of Lancas- ter county in 1750, four years previous to the Albany purchase, by which was added to the com- monwealth all the lands west of the Kittatinny and east of the Alleghany Mountains.
The earliest division of the territory now in- cluded in Perry county into townships was into Greenwood, which included the land between the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers. This township doubtless included at one time a vast area in Mif- flin, Snyder and Union counties, being the mother of Liverpool, Buffalo, Howe and Watts, as now de- fined in Perry county.
Rye township extended from the Kittatinny Moun- tains to the Tuscarora Hills, including its present territory, Penn, Wheatfield, Miller, Carroll, Center, Juniata, Oliver and Tuscarora townships. The line dividing Rye and Tyrone townships extended di- rect from the Blue Mountains, passing about two . miles west of Bloomfield to the Tuscarora Hills.
Next to Rye, west of the Juniata, was Tyrone, known as "the everlasting State of Tyrone." It included parts of Carroll and Center, all of Spring, Tyrone and Saville. Tyrone was separated from
424
FT
PROBASCO SC
NEWPORT.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Toboyne by a straight line from the Blue Moun- tains through Center, in Madison township, to the Conecocheaque Hills.
Toboyne township was farthest west in the county, and included within itself Jackson and Madison townships. This township dates its for- mation prior to the Revolution.
This was the earliest division of the territory of Perry county into townships. When it was formed into a new county there were seven town- ships. Of the new townships, Juniata included that part of Rye north and west of the Mahonoy Hills, Saville, that part of Tyrone west of the Lime- stone Ridge, and Buffalo, that part of Greenwood south of the Buffalo Hills.
Villages were formed at Duncannon, Landisburg, Millerstown, Liverpool and New Buffalo, before or about 1800. These were the earliest towns of the county.
Millerstown was laid out by David Miller as early as 1780, and for a long time seemed destined to become the largest town in the county. It was written for a long time Miller's Town. Fewer un- employed men have lived in Millerstown, in propor- tion to the population, than any town in the county. Millerstown contains seven stores, a foundry, a large tannery, two churches-Presbyterian and Metho- dist-and a Normal school. In healthfulness of location, convenience of access, and the natural beauty of surroundings, it is unsurpassed anywhere along the Juniata.
Liverpool was laid out by John Huggins in 1808, 2*
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
and soon became the most important trading point in the eastern portion of the county. Liverpool merchants dealt largely in liquors, grain, plaster, dry goods and groceries. The society was made up of almost every hue, from the smooth and cau- tious to a sprinkling of roughs, who would extort the laugh of commendation and social entertain- ment from the inost grave and sedate.
Landisburg was originally laid out by John Lan- dis, previous to 1800, who disposed of some por- tions of the town by lottery, reserving the annual ground rent. It is said "the quit-rents of Landis- burg have had as many owners as Joseph's coat had colors."
The courts were held here until the location of the county-seat at Bloomfield, and the completion of the public buildings there in 1827.
The first Court of Common Pleas in Perry county was held in Landisburg on the 4th of De- cember, 1820. Hon. John Reed, formerly of West- moreland county, was President Judge, and Wil- liam Anderson and Jeremiah Madden, Esqrs., As- sociate Judges. Daniel Stambaugh was the High Sheriff.
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