USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County : from its first settlement to the present time, first under Virginia as Yohogania, Ohio, or Augusta County until 1781, and subsequently under Pennsylvania > Part 49
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An Indian council was held. The scene which quickly followed, and which was the consummation of the purposes of the council, was sufficient to chill the heart's blood of even savage barbarity.
The five prisoners, firmly bound, sat side by side on the trunk of a fallen tree. They were approached from the rear by five large and powerful Indians, each with uplifted tomahawk in hand, three of whom dealt simul- taneous blows, and Hawkins, Peak, and Burnett lay with cloven skulls, weltering in their life's blood.
The other two savages seemed to recoil from the work of atrocity that had been assigned them; but each stood with uplifted tomahawk over the head of his intended victim.
In this awful moment of suspense, Miller and Link, fortunately for them- selves, gave no evidence of terror or trepidation.
At that moment a warbling songster of the wood struck up its mournful song from the pendent branches of an ancient monarch of the forest over- hanging the scene of this awful tragedy.
Two of the intended executioners, immediately cowering back from their intrepid and indomitably courageous prisoners, quickly returned their toma- hawks to their belts; and the whole of the savages, palpably overwhelmed with consternation and dismay, hastened to form in line with the front In- dians of the file facing toward the Ohio. Miller and Link led, like dogs, by long strips of raw-hide, had a place assigned to them about the middle of the file.
Thus with light, silent, and cat-like tread they advanced on their retreat rapidly till they neared the banks of Big Wheeling Creek, where, nightfall coming on, a halt was made, a fire was kindled some distance away from the place selected for an encampment, which was quickly extinguished as soon as it had served the purpose of cooking their scanty evening meal.
Here, for the first time since a few minutes before the enactment of the tragic scenes first related, was Miss Hawkins cheered with the sight of any of the other prisoners.
In agonizing filial apprehensions she strained her eyes in anxious search along the approaching file for a sight of her father ; but when she saw only Miller and Link she instinctively divined what had happened.
Being now composed, reason and judgment were measurably under her control, and her familiarity with the Indian character and peculiarities, ad- monished her that she should not betray to the keen perceptions of the savages the real state of her feelings. With a resolute endurance and a heroism befitting the occasion, she succeeded in stifling the better feelings of her nature; and, affecting indifference to what had transpired within the last fifteen hours, she partook with apparent cheerfulness of the parsimo- nious and frugal entertainment which the Indians served up to her and the other prisoners.
From the indistinguishable jabbering among the Indians, it was evident they were arranging to get that sleep of which they had been so long de- prived, and to make a judicious and safe disposition of the prisoners for the night.
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At length they stretched themselves out upon the ground, with such an arrangement, that on either side of each prisoner was an Indian. As a further precaution to security, the end of the thong by which each prisoner had been led in the march was securely fastened around the body of an Indian. Doubly bound, as they were, the prisoners gave up all hope of escape.
The Indians soon fell asleep. Their minds were too busy, their nerves too excited, and their torture from their bouds too intense, to allow the prisoners any inclination to close their eyes.
Pinioned and distributed as they were among the Indians, they were pre- cluded the possibility of any communication with one another, by word, or even gesture.
Miller, notwithstanding his anxiety of mind and distress of body, had matured a plan for his escape : which was to sunder, by means of his teeth, the tough thongs which served to bind him so sceurely.
He "impatiently waited for midnight, when the sleep of the Indians would be most likely to be profound." Time passed away, and at last even Link* and Miss Hawkinst sank into a fitful slumber.
Miller, imploring divine assistance, embraced this as the auspicious mo- ment to begin the difficult and dangerous work he had in contemplation.
With an unconquerable will and unfaltering determination, he labored for some time, accomplishing but little.
Though having a set of good teeth, he at times almost despaired of sue- cess, on account of the toughness of the material on which he was operating.
But at length one of the sundered fetters dropped slowly from its deep track, where it was imbedded in the muscles of his arms. One of the savages turned in his sleep. Miller lay in the semblance of sleep. Ten minutes elapsed, and, no further movement being observed, he resumed his efforts to unfetter himself.
At length his success was complete. He stole forth cautiously from the circle of his captors, and was soon on his way back to Buffalo, where he arrived about the break of day.
As soon as he entered the block-house alone, and without his gun, the inmates knew that some awful calamity had befallen himself and his com- panions.
When inquired of as to Hupp and Fisher, the great deep of his manly soul was broken up, and the awfully harrowing scenes of the last twenty- four hours rushing through his mind, rendered him speechless.
And his only response was to point to the deep and purple marks still
* Link was not so successful as Miller in his endeavors to escape. He was dragged along with the Indians to their villages beyond the Ohio.' And tradition says, that some two weeks after his capture he was brought back into the neighborhood, and taken up on the hill north of his own cabin and in full view of it, where he was Set up as a target and shot at by the Indians. He, no doubt, was buried by the side of Hupp and Fisher, about midway between his cabin and the creek. The cut through the bank for the county road has disturbed the sepulchre of these prisoner martyrs. Here, at the road-side, the venerable William Porter, Sr., has frequently picked por- tions of human bones out of the crumbling bank.
+ Miss Hawkins was carried by the Indians to their villages in the interior of Ohio. Here she was led in triumph to the wigwam, and with due form and ceremony adopted into the tribe. She soon learned to reciprocate that disinterested tenderness with which she was so affectionately loved by the mother of her adoption. Many years after she had been wedded to a Shawnese Chief she returned to the neighborhood on a visit to her pale-faced relatives. But she soon returned to her wild Indian home, the dull monotony of civilized life having no charms for her.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
remaining in his arms, and amid the emotional throbbings of his heart and the heaving of his herculean chest, burst into a flood of unbidden tears.
The abundant tribute of tears, from those collecting around him, con- vinced Miller that true sympathy is natural to the human heart.
The sad events of the day previous having been learned, it was desirable to extend the rite of sepulture to those who had fallen.
Amongst those who shouldered their rifles* and set out, headed by Capt. Miller, to perform these last sad rites, were John Miller, Andrew Deeds, and Jacob Rowe.
In after years Miller seldom related this, to him, painful narrative ; and when he did, it was always with tears streaming down his manly cheeks.
I am, dear sir, obediently yours.
JOHN C. HUPP.
Scattered throughout Youghiogheny, but now Washington County, were many forts, some of which we shall particularize: VANCE'S fort, one mile north of Cross Creek village, situate on Cross Creek, which empties into the Ohio River, and now in the possession of Alli- son Vance, a lineal descendant of Major William Vance. WELLS'S fort, five miles west of Cross Creek village. The Rev. Dr. John Stockton, of Cross Creek, says :-
"In these forts, social and afterwards public worship was kept up for seven years, especially in summer and autumn, the seasons when the Indians were wont to make their raids; and it was a common thing for men to go to these meetings armed with their trusty rifles, and to stand guard during the services. The first gospel sermon ever preached in that region was under an oak tree, just outside the gate of Vance's fort, on the 18th Sep- tember, 1778, by the Rev. James Powers."
LINDLEY's fort, near the present village of Prosperity, was one of the strongest forts in the western country, because it was the most exposed to the hostile incursions of the savage inhabitants.
Beeman's block-house was situated on Beeman's Run, which emp- ties into the north fork of Wheeling Creek. In front of this block- house was a long, narrow field, on which horses were pastured. At the extremity of the field the fence was down, and two boys passed through into the woods in search of the horses which had strayed off. The Indians had thrown down the fence as a ruse, and taken the horses into the woods, and thither the boys ignorantly went. The Indians seized them and carried them off. That night the boys were tomahawked, scalped, and left for dead. In the morning, on awak- ening, one of the boys found the Indians had left and his brother dead, went to the river and pursued its course until evening, when he arrived at Wheeling.
WOLFE's fort, or block-house and stockade, stood about five miles west of Catfish and inclosed Jacob Wolfe's house. The National road now passes over the ground occupied by the fort. William Darby thus describes the situation of affairs :-
* The rifle and the remnants of the equipments carried by Jacob Rowe on this occasion are now in the possession of the writer of this letter.
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" We remained in Mr. Wolfe's house until February, 1782, while my father was preparing his cabin, into which we finally entered, but not to rest. In fifteen or twenty days after entrance into our log cabin, Martin Jolly came running breathless to tell us that a savage murder had been committed but ten miles distant. In two hours we were in Wolfe's fort. From the fort my parents removed to Catfish (Washington), and spent the residue of 1782 and to April, 1783, on the farm of Alexander Reynolds, recently owned by Dr. F. J. Lemoyne. On this farm we were living when the Moravian In- dians were massacred, and when the militia army were defeated under Col. William Crawford, and he captured and burned by a slow torture to death. James and Hugh Workman were both in that expedition, and I fancy I see the two women now, when James Reynolds came running to my mother exclaiming, 'Jamy Workman is killed!' James Workman, who was a married man, was not killed, but returned to his family and lived many years afterwards. A like report came in regard to Hugh, and happily proved untrue, to the great joy of his betrothed wife, Peggy Bryson, living then with her brother-in-law, Thomas Nichol. John Campbell, of Pigeon Creek, was killed in the action. The fate of William Huston, son of John Huston, William Johnston, and William Nimmons, was never accounted for. The two latter were both married men, and left children."
FROMAN's fort was on Chartiers' Creek.
There was a block-house in Mount Pleasant township on Wilson's farm, which is now owned by Andrew Russel, Esq.
BECKET'S fort was near the Monongahela River.
There was also a fort in West Bethlehem township, at the village of Zollarsville, and directly in the rear of the dwelling-house and store of Edward R. Smith, Esq., on the high bluff which overlooks the creek.
Another at Taylorstown; this place, however, was originally called New Brunswick.
JACKSON'S fort was near Waynesburg.
FINLEY TOWNSHIP.
The following interesting facts I received from our esteemed fel- low citizen, Alexander Frazier, Esq., concerning the first settlement of the western part of Washington County, known as Finley town- ship.
The first settlement in this township was about 1785-the first fort was Roncy's block-house. In this year a man by the name of McIntosh, with his wife and eight children, settled on what is now called the Blockhouse Run (from the fact that Campbell's block- house was erected there). Some time in August, as the McIntoshes were engaged in stacking hay, they were fired upon by the Indians; he himself was shot off the stack, while his wife, who was pitching hay, fled towards the house, but was overtaken, tomahawked, and scalped, while the children were treated in the same manner. The Indians, before they left the house, placed one of the dead boys before the door, with a knife in one hand and a corn-stalk in the other, while in the house they took the infant out of the cradle, and,
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
after scalping it, bcat its brains out against the wall, holding it by its heels.
The neighbors found one of the girls fifty yards from the house, scalped, while the eldest made her escape and rode to Roney's fort and communicated the sad intelligence. Hercules Roney, with a party of men from the fort, repaired to the scene of action, prepared a grave, and deposited all the bodies therein.
The Indians, after this cruel murder, remained quiet until about 1790, when they again broke out and continued troublesome until Wayne's treaty. In the year 1792 they killed an old lady, Mrs. Nancy Ross, near where West Alexander now stands. She went out of her cabin to look for her cow, when she was overtaken by Indians who lay in ambush, tomahawked, and scalped. The Indians then went to Beekman's Run, in West Finley township, where they captured two boys by the name of Beekman, who were in the woods hunting their horses. They took them some distance with the horses, when they halted and put them under the care of one of the Indians, while the other two went to seek a camping ground. It appears a dog had been following the boys, which, when the Indians discovered, they took alarm-fearing they were pursued-tomahawked and scalped the boys, and left them for dead. The elder boy received a gash on the forehead above his left eye, which did not penetrate the skull, but glanced into the eye, cutting the eyeball. As soon as they came to, the elder boy put his brother on the horse, but he was too weak to ride. He himself mounted the horse and started for home, but, after riding some distance, became weak and faint from the loss of blood, dismounted, hitched the horse, went some distance down into a gully at the head of the run, and crept under a rock to rest. Fortunately the colt, which had followed, chewed the bridle, and let the marc go. In a short time the Indians came on the trail of the horses. He saw them from his hiding place pass by, and, after waiting some considerable time, he set off, and by a different route reached home. I have seen this boy when grown up to manhood, with his scalp off and his eye closed up, with a large scar above it.
About this time two young girls on Wheeling Creek, by the name of Crow, were in the woods hunting their cows. They were captured by some Indians, and, after some consultation, the elder was toma- hawked and scalped ; but the younger being twelve years of age, they reserved her for another death, but providentially they were doomed to disappointment. They stripped her of her clothing, gave her some yards start, and a young Indian larger than herself was ordered to pursue, tomahawk, and scalp her. In running the chase for life or death the foot of the Indian was caught by the root of a tree and he fell. Before he recovered himself she was too far off to be taken, notwithstanding the Indians fired their rifles after her.
The lands in West Finley township were chiefly owned by Messrs. Shields and Hollingsworth, of Philadelphia, part of which was pur- 28
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chased from them in 1790 by Scotch Presbyterian emigrants direct from Scotland-hence it was often known by the name of the " Scotch Settlement." On this land they built Campbell's block-house in the summer of that year. It was situate about one mile and a half west of the village of Good Intent. These settlers had exceedingly hard times. During part of the summer months they were shut up in the block-house, and it was with the greatest difficulty and peril they could raise corn sufficient for their families and their stock. Another great inconvenience was, they had no mill within fifteen or twenty miles, hence they had to manufacture their corn for family use ; and, as necessity is the mother of invention, they made graters upon which to rub the corn, which answered for meal. They also pounded it in a mortar, with a pestle made about three feet long, with an iron wedge made fast to one end. They would pound awhile, then sift the fine part out, with which they would make their bread, as also their mush. The coarser part they would make into hominy. Some, however, made hand-mills, while an ingenious man by the name of Elliott invented a kind of hand-mill with some gearing attached, which two men could work with a windlass, similar to a draw-well. Some years afterwards the same man erected a horse mill, and by perseverance and patience became a self-made practical millwright.
While on this subject we may add that Peter Wolf erected a small mill on Robinson's fork of Wheeling Creek. In a year or two after- wards John Richmond built another mill where Good Intent village now stands.
WILLIAM BAILEY'S CAPTIVITY.
In early times there resided near Candor, Washington County (then Westmoreland County), four brothers by the name of Bailey. It was harvest time, and they were in the harvest field, assisted by Josiah Scott and others. When Scott had finished his row he mounted the fence to rest himself until the remainder of the reapers would come up. When Scott was seated on the fence he was shot by the Indians, who were in ambush, and William Bailey was cap- tured, while the rest made their escape, and he was tied fast with a rope. Word was immediately sent to Fort McIntosh (Beaver) and to Pittsburg, and soldiers were sent out to intercept them. When the officers and soldiers discovered the Indians they lay in ambush to surprise and capture the whole party, but one of their number, being very much excited, fired his gun, which defeated the desired object. However, the Indian who had Mr. Bailey in a bark canoe with him was killed, and the boat turned upside down, while the other Indians who were in the bark canoes made their escape. Mr. Bailey not being an experienced swimmer, with the assistance of the soldiers was brought to the shore perfectly exhausted. After recovery he was sent to Pittsburg, and afterwards reached home in safety.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
REV. JOHN CORBLEY
Was an eminent Baptist preacher who had settled at Muddy Creek (Washington), now Greene County. He details his sufferings, and those of his family, in a letter to Rev. Dr. Rogers, of Philadelphia, in the following language :-
MUDDY CREEK, Washington County, July 8, 1788.
On the second Sabbath of May, 1782, being by appointment at one of my meeting-houses, about a mile from my dwelling-house, I set out with my dear wife and five children for public worship. Not suspecting any danger, I walked behind two hundred yards, with my Bible in my hand, meditating ; as I was thus employed, all on a sudden I was greatly alarmed with the frightful shrieks of my dear family before me. I immediately ran with all the speed I could, vainly hunting a club as I ran, till I got within forty yards of them. My poor wife seeing me, cried to me to make my escape. An Indian ran up to shoot me. I then fled, and, by so doing, outran him. My wife had a sucking child in her arms. This little infant they killed and scalped. They then struck my wife several times, but, not getting her down, the Indian who aimed to shoot me ran to her, shot her through the body, and scalped her. My little boy, an only son about six years old, they sunk the hatchet into his brains, and thus despatched him. A daughter, besides the infant, they also killed and scalped. My eldest daughter, who is yet alive, was hid in a tree about twenty yards from the place where the rest were killed, and saw the whole proceedings. She, seeing the Indians all go off, as she thought, got up and deliberately crept out of the hollow trunk; but one of them espying her, ran' hastily up, knocked her down, and scalped her, also her only sister, on whose head they did not leave more than an inch round either of flesh or of skin, besides taking a piece of her skull. They still retain their senses, notwithstanding the painful operations they have already, and must yet pass through.
CHAPTER IV.
WHISKEY INSURRECTION.
WASHINGTON COUNTY was settled by pioneers from Cumberland Valley and Virginia, after the close of the war with Pontiac, which occurred on the 30th day of October, 1763. The settlements were made along the Monongahela. It is an historical fact, however, that on the 27th of January, 1750, the Assembly of the Province of Penn- sylvania erected the county of Cumberland by an act of that date, which necessarily embraced all the counties west of the Susquehanna. The act referred to recites the boundaries as follows: " That all and singular the land lying within the Province of Pennsylvania, to the westward of the Susquehanna, and northward and westward of the county of York, be erected into a county to be called CUMBERLAND, bounded northward and westward with the line of the Province ;
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eastward, partly with the river Susquehanna and partly with the said county of York, and southward in part by the said county of York, and part by the line dividing the said Province from that of Maryland."
The seat of justice being located at Carlisle, the people were re- quired to travel hundreds of miles on account of the extensive limits of the county, at great expense and loss of time. To remedy this evil, the boundaries of Cumberland County were reduced by the erection of new counties, some of which I shall enumerate, as they constitute a part of the present history.
BEDFORD COUNTY was erected into a county March 9, 1771; WESTMORELAND COUNTY, February 26, 1773; WASHINGTON COUNTY, March 28, 1781 ; FAYETTE COUNTY, September 26, 1783, and ALLE- GHENY COUNTY, September 24, 1788. Cumberland County having brought into civil existence these and other counties, has always been known politically and otherwise as "Mother Cumberland," and the sobriquet has been as justly bestowed and as equally merited.
From the census table of 1790, we learn that these five counties, which then composed Western Pennsylvania, had a population of 76,642 inhabitants, which were distributed as follows : Bedford County had a population of 13,124; Westmoreland County, 16,018; Wash- ington County, 23,866; Fayette County, 13,325, and Allegheny County, 10,309, while in 1800 the population had increased in these five counties to the number of 98,304, showing an increase of 21,162 in ten years. Taking these statistical tables as a correct data, we are safe in asserting that at the period when the whiskey insurrec- tion was at its zenith, the population was not less than 87,473.
This population was composed of men who devoted their time chiefly to agricultural pursuits, and the virgin soil yielded its fruits prolifically as a reward to the husbandman. So productive were the cereals, that there was neither market nor purchasers for the surplus quantity, the only mode of consequence being to send the products of the soil across the mountains on pack-horses, and in return bring salt, iron, groceries, &c. &c. This remarkably slow mode of send- ing their articles to market, and the necessity of receiving in return the comforts of life, caused deep thought and anxious solicitude among a population of upwards of 87,000 people. The question, therefore, was discussed among the people how their crops could be made more available. Many plans were devised, suggested, and discussed, but, as necessity is the mother of invention, the idea was happily conceived that the grain could be converted into distilled liquor, and instead of a horse carrying but four bushels of rye over the mountains, it could transport the product of twenty-four bushels manufactured into whiskey, hence whiskey became the medium of exchange between the east and the west; the " old Monongahela" became renowned for its purity, and the agriculturists bent all the energies of their mind to increase the cereal products of the earth, because a new way was opened up, which promised to the frugal and industrious, the rewards consequent upon well-bestowed labor.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
In the midst of this unexampled prosperity, the people were re- minded that the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania, as early as 1756, had passed an EXCISE LAW by which a tax was placed upon every article supposed not to be necessary, or, in other words, on the luxuries of life. This law, however, had always been imperative, and as no tax was ever collected under that excise law in any of the counties cast of the mountains, the people of Western Pennsylvania regarded it as merely nominal so far as related to domestic distilled liquors.
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