History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 139

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 139
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 139
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 139

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less warfare. The time has long since ceased when any such cold-blooded murderer can be exalted to the rank of a hero ; but as his repu- tation as an Indian slayer is far extended, we will condense from a life of "Tom Quick, the Indian Slayer," by James E. Quinlan, a brief account of some of his exploits. It does not appear that he signalized himself in any way during the French and Indian War; but after peace was declared and the hatchet buried, he commenced operations independently. Such of the former inhabitants of the Neversink and Delaware as were living returned to their clear- ings and possessions. The Indians, too, began to revisit their old haunts, supposing they would be well received by the whites, but the fire and the scalping-knife yet retained a vivid place in the recollection of the settlers, and in the hearts of many of the pioneers there raukled undying hatred. Notwithstanding this aversion, nearly all the settlers were careful to avoid all cause of offense. Among the Indians who came back was a drunken vagabond, named Muskwink or Modeline, who had assisted in murdering Tom's father. About two years after the war Tom weut to Decker's tavern, on the Neversink. Muskwink was there, somewhat intoxicated, very bold and talkative, elaiming Tom's ac- quaiutance and desiring him to drink with him. Tom refused and bestowed a coutemptuous epithet upon the Indian, which caused the snake- like cyes of the latter to glitter with rage. A conversation of an irritating character passed between them, during which Modeline gave a detailed account of the killing of Thomas Quick, Sr., asserting that he scalped him with his own hands, at the same time mimicking the grievances of the dying man, and, to corrob- orate his assertion, exhibited the silver sleeve buttons worn by his victim at the time. This brutal recital aroused the devil in Tom's heart. He was unarmed, but there was a French mus- ket in the bar-room, hanging on pegs driven into a beam directly over the hearthstone. Tom quickly took this musket from its place, ascer- tained that it was loaded and primed, cocked the gun and placing the muzzle within a few feet of Modeline's breast, ordered him to leave the house. He arose slowly and sullenly from his

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seat and proceeded to the door, Tom following after him. He drove the savage into the main road between Wurtsborough and Carpenter's Point. After procecding about a mile toward the latter place he exclaimed, " Indian dog, you'll kill no more white men !" and aiming the musket, which was loaded with a heavy charge of slugs, shot the savage in the back be- tween the shoulders. Modeline jumped two or three feet from the ground and fell upon his face dead. Tom took from him the buttons which had belonged to his father, drew the body to a tree that the wind had torn up by the roots, and kicking some leaves and dirt over it, left it there. Some say that he severed the head from the body, stuck it on a stake by the road and left it there.

After the assassination of Modeline, Tom re- turned to Decker's tavern, put the musket in its proper plaee, drank a glass of rum and left the neighborhood. Several years afterward Philip Decker cleared the land and in plowing turned up the Indian's bones. A pair of bars in the fence at that place are known as Mode- line's bars to this day. This transaction caused considerable excitement at the time, some holding that Tom should be arrested and sent to prison, others contending that he had per- formed a meritorious act. Tom was certainly laboring under great provocation, and we can find greater excuse for this transaction than for many which followed. His next exploit, which occurred shortly after, was the murdering of an Indian family, consisting of a man, his wife and three children, who were in a canoe on the Delaware, near Butler's Rift.

The Indian seemed to be unarmed, and, with the others, was evidently not apprehensive of danger. They were on the same side of the river with Tom, and proceeded leisurely along, the children enjoying the journey and seeming very happy. When Quick saw them he con- cealed himself in the long reed grass which grew on the shore, and as they approached near he recognized the Indian as one who had visited his father's house before the war, and been en- gaged in several outrages on the frontier. When within gunshot Tom rose up, and in the In- dian tongue, ordered them to come ashore. The

Indian turned pale, but dared not disobey. He then inquired where they were going, to which answer was made. He then remarked they had reached their journey's end. The Indian answered that it was " peace time," that " the hatchet was buried." But Tom replied that there could be no peace between the red-skins and him, and that he would wage eternal war with them. He then shot the man and tomahawked the squaw and her children. The two eldest " squeaked like young crows," so Tom said. He had proceeded thus far without compunctions of conscience, or feeling that he was committing a most horrible massaere. But as he raised the tomahawk to give the fatal blow to the youngest, the babe-for it was nothing more-looked up wonderingly into his face and smiled. The innocence and un- consciousness of danger beaming from its sunny childish eyes caused him to relent. His arm fell to his side. He could not strike it. But the fact suddenly thrust itself upon him that the child would in a few years become an In- dian, and this so enraged him that he dashed out its brains. He sank the bodies in the river and destroyed the canoe. He did not tell of this deed until years afterwards. When asked why he killed the children, he would reply " Nits make lice." The foregoing murders are as well authenticated as any of his numerous exploits.

There are many wonderful stories told of him which have been preserved by tradition and which are firmly believed by the oldest members of the Quick family and other families who lived in the vicinity of his home in West- fall township, at Rosetown, where he now lies buried on part of the old James Rosenkrutz property.

Among the improbable stories is the one concerning rail-splitting. It is alleged that seven Indians caught him splitting rails and told him he must go along with them. He said he would if they would help him get the log split in two. They put their fingers in the crack on either side to assist him and he knocked the wedge out, and as their fingers were all fast in the log he knocked their brains out at his leisure. The buck with seven skins is more like Tom. On

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hunting with an Indian with the understanding that he was to have the meat, while the Indian had the skins, they killed seven deer. Tom fell behind the Indian, who had the skins on his back, shot him and took the skins, along with the meat, which was hung up in the woods, saying that he had shot a buck with seven skins.

Tradition says that on his death-bed he claimed to have killed ninety-nine Indians and begged them to bring an old Indian who lived in the settlement that he might kill him before he died and thus make an even hundred. After partici- pating in the murder of Canope at Handsome Eddy, he had no more Indian adventures. His last episode was with the panthers. He and his dogs killing two old and two young ones in one day. His headquarters in the summer were generally at the house of Showers, near Mon- gaup Island, or at a hut near Hagen Pond, where lie hunted and trapped. He never mar- ried. He was outlawed by the government, it being an understood thing that no Indian wlio killed him would be held accountable by the whites.

In his old age he was looked upon as a hero by the pioneer hunters and trappers. He died at James Rosencrance's, in the year 1795 or 1796, and was buried on his farm.

During his last illness he never expressed a regret that he had killed so many Indians, but was sorry he had not killed a greater number. Those who knew Tom in his latter days say he had carried his favorite rifle until the stock where it rested on his shoulder was worn through, so that the ramrod was visible at the place.

The Indian slayer, weather-beaten, with worn-out accoutrements and dogs in keeping, would have formed no bad subject for the pen- cil. It would be difficult to find a parallel to the life of Tom Quick. Waging a relentless warfare against a savage foe, outlawed by his own government, he still continued to murder his victims until his name became a terror to his foes, and at last died unrepentant and handed down to posterity by contemporary frontiersmen as a hero.

EARLY SETTLERS .- Among the pioneers at

Milford before the town was laid out or named were the names of Wells, Newman, Seely, Harford, Vandemark and Brodhead. The place was known as Wells' Ferry dur- ing the Revolutionary struggle, three Wells brothers having come from Connecticut. Their names were Jesse, James and Israel. Jesse Wells built a grist-mill on the Sawkill, where Jacob Klaer's mill now is, the people from across the river fording the creek below the mill ; hence it became known as Mill-ford. General Samuel C. Seely is sometimes men- tioned as having been connected with this mill, which is denied by others. He may have had an interest in a grist-mill at this point for a short time. There was also a saw-mill near the grist-mill. The Sawkill and Vandemark Creeks furnish good water-power, and saw-mills and grist-mills were erected on these streams from the earliest settlement of the place. Even old Tom Quick is said to have had a grist-mill and a saw-mill here in 1733-54. We find tradi- tionary history and documentary evidence have alike connected the pioneer history of Milford with grist-mills. The reader must not infer they were very extensive enterprises, but simply little "Tub Mills," as they were called, with a single run of native stone, capable of grinding about as much as a good-sized coffee-mill. Even this slow process was better than beating it with a pestle and mortar. The Wellses undoubtedly had a ferry here. Old people remember that Jacob Kittle was a ferryman at Milford in the year 1808. James Wells lived at Panther Brook or Shohola. Israel Wells was drowned in the Delaware, below Moses Dietrick's place, about 1803. He lived on the hill south of the Sawkill, on the farm now owned by Mrs. John Heller and John Wallace. His children were Benjamin, Abram, Jesse, Lydia, Nathan, David, Peter, Harriet and Sally. Abram and Jesse lived on the turnpike on farms, and raised large families, who have since departed. Nathan was a cabinet-maker and lived in Milford. He invented the Wells Fanning-Mill, and estab- lished a factory, which is now operated by Henry Wells. Nathan Wells married Aun Rockwell. Of their children, Edgar is ticket agent and Frank is baggage-master on the Erie

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Railroad at Port Jervis ; Peter is a merchant in the same village ; Mary lives on the homestead, opposite the Sawkill House, with her mother, who is now eighty-eight years of age.

David Wells married Caroline Austin, and was a cabinet-maker and undertaker in Milford. His children were Helen, wife of Charles Biddis and mother of Senator Biddis; Halstead, who remained at home until his death; Caroline, wife of William H. Armstrong, attorney-at-law, who had been in the Internal Revenue Depart- ment at Washington for eighteen years, and resigned when the Democrats came into power (John D. Biddis, his brother-in-law, now has the office). David A. Wells represented Wayne and Pike in the Legislature of Pennsylvania one term. He finally kept the Glen House, where he died.

Isaac Newman came from Connecticut about 1765, located on a meadow just below the spot where James Pinchot is now building, and engaged in farming. His children were Asa, Isaac, Thomas, Ira, Susanna, Rebecca and Hannah. Of these, Asa and Isaac went to Montgomery County; Thomas removed to New Jersey ; Ira married Mary Bross, a sister of Abram Bross, one of the old settlers of Lackawaxen. She lay in the lap of her mother in a swamp about three miles from the Dela- ware, in New Jersey, when the Indians raided that vicinity. Mrs. Bross muzzled the dog when the savages passed, who were in sight of the anxious mother, but did not see her and her infant daughter. Mr. Newman built a house in Milford, where Archie Brink now lives, in 1807. He was eighty and his wife eighty-six, when they died. His children were Laura, who married William Brink, and lived in Dingman township, where she still resides with her son, aged eighty-eight. Nancy married John M. Heller; their son, Martin V. Heller, is a railroad superintendent. Solomon Newman lived in Milford ; his son, John B. Newman, 110W has a store in the place.

Thomas Newman lives in Milford, and served as constable for forty-four years, in which capacity he has been called into all parts of Pike County to serve processes. Living at the county-seat, he was called before justices of

the peace in various parts of the county. Among others he often appeared before Mason Dimmick, Esq., who then kept tavern at Mellener's Eddy, where William Place now has a stand, and there Thomas Newman secured for his life partner Dimmick's only daughter. Their son, Charles B. Newman, is now district attorney of Pike County. Mr. Newman is nearly eighty years of age, and has a distinct recollec- tion of many of the old residents of Milford who now sleep in Milford Cemetery. Ira B. Newman lived in Milford, and taught school until he died, when a middle-aged man. Cath- arine married David Howell and lives in Lehman. Malenna was unmarried.

One of the early settlers of what is now Mil- ford was Samuel C. Seely. He obtained war- rants for and located two tracts of land, one in his own name and the other in that of his wife, Patience Seely. These tracts included both sides of the Sawkill Creek, from the "river flats " up-stream about a mile, covering the sites for water-power on that creek for that distance. Soon after the surveys were made he settled upon the land and erected a grist-mill, which is said to have been on the site of the Klaer mill, that Wells' mill is said to have occupied. It is probable that one of these parties had the mill for a short time aud then sold it to the other. Seely's residence was on the old " Wil- derness Road," which was opened through to Wyoming by Connecticut colonists in 1762. Old people say that he had a store here, it be- ing the first store in all this region of country. His wife was Miss Patience Morrell, of New York, a woman of refinement and possessing property.

When he brought his wife to the wilderness home, at Minisink, their dwelling was a log cabin, and their oven out of doors, being built upon a level-topped rock of suitable height to form the oven floor. The first time the young wife heated the oven for baking, she was greatly startled, while at her work, by the sight of six or eight large rattlesnakes, that crawled out from under the rock as it had warmed by fire. Samuel C. Seely was one of the four judges commissioned to hold office during good behavior, shortly after the act of 21st March,

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1798, erecting Wayne County. Samuel Pres- ton, John Ryerson, Samuel C. Seely and John Biddis, although not lawyers, were commissioned to hold Courts of Common Pleas. Judge Ryer- son was removed March 30, 1803, and Richard Brodhead the next day commissioned as judge in his place. Judge Seely resigned May 13, 1803, and was the same day admitted to the bar as an attorney-at-law. It does not appear that he ever practiced before the courts.

These early judges were of about the same mental calibre as an ordinary justice of the peace, and their decisions were based upon the principles of natural justice, as it appeared to men of good common sense. They held the first courts in Wayne County at Milford, Wil- sonville and Bethany, during the long contro- versy, ending in the permanent location of the seat at the last-named place, and finally in the erection of Pike into a new county, in 1814.

Samuel Seely, son of Rev. Christopher Seely, was born in 1756, probably at Morristown, N. J. Though only a boy at the outbreak of the Revolution, he early bore an active part in the conflict. His name appears for the first time in the list of officers and men of the militia of Elizabeth Town, who entered on board a num- ber of shallops, January 22, 1776, in order to take the British ship "Blue Mountain Val- ley."

He held commissions in the three successive organizations of Continental troops, known as First, Second and Third Establishments. His final rank was first lieutenant of the First Regi- ment of the New Jersey Line. In this he served to the end of the war, and was honorably discharged with the brevet rank of captain. He probably obtained the title of general from some militia organization. General Seely had his slaves, in common with the prominent early settlers in the Minisink, and drove with his coach-and-four in much style, but during the latter part of his life lost his property and lived with his son-in-law, Judge Dingman, who had married his daughter, the Widow Burrell, for a second wife. He died September 28, 1819, aged sixty-three, and is buried in Delaware Cemetery, at Dingman's Ferry. He had a large family of children. Of these children,

Samuel and Christopher and Charlotte, wife of John Thompson, lived in New York ; William went to sea ; Cornelia and Maria were twins (Cornelia was the wife of Paschal Wells, of Brooklyn, and Maria married John Ennis, who lived just across the river from Dingman's Ferry) ; Harriet married Isaac Burrell, and resided in Sandyson, N. J. ; Sarah H. Burrell, the oldest daughter, was the wife of Abram Decker, who lived in Delaware township; Daniel Burrell is there also ; Rev. William H. Burrell is a Methodist preacher ; and Charles S. Burrell resides in Chicago.

John Biddis, Sr., a resident of Philadelphia,. of Welsh descent, bought the land where Mil- ford now stands, in the year 1793, or there- abouts, had the town laid out into building lots, etc. He built a grist and saw-mill, and carried on an extensive business. His children were. Catharine, wife of Hugh Ross, an eccentric preacher and lawyer. Edward, a graduate of West Point, and in the Seminole War. Sarah Biddis, married James Barton, who built the first Milford water-works, the upper or Barton's grist-mill, now owned by Jervis Gor- don, and the Biddis mill, which was on the old Wells & Secly mill-site, and is owned by Jacob Klaer. Barton had three daughters. Ann, who was the wife of John Clark, who furnished the Pike County House and kept tavern there a number of years. Of Clark's children, Theodosia was the wife of Oscar Mott, and Augustus the wife of William E. Salmon, Esq. George Biddis and John Biddis were in partnership in the mill and a store, which they established in Milford, until John Biddis died. George Biddis was a bachelor. John Biddis' wife was Martha Britton, and his children were George Biddis and Britton A. Biddis, who are deceased, and Charles Ross Biddis, who has been sheriff of Pike County one term, and county treasurer three terms. Charles R. Biddis is one of those irrepressible men who, if put down at one point, will rise at another. His predecessors had used up in one way or another nearly all of the an- cestral inheritance, so that Charles, left to his own resources, took the contract for carrying the mail from Milford to Hamlinton, by way of Blooming Grove and Hawley, making a round

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trip of one hundred miles once a week. He carried this mail for eight years and rarely missed a trip. " Uncle Ira Crissman " kindly took his note for one hundred and seventy dol- lars for a large, iron-gray horse, which Biddis drove for seven years without missing a single trip. Mr. Biddis now lives comfortably, the result of his untiring industry. His wife was Helen R., a daughter of Caroline Wells. His only son, John D. Biddis, is a clerk in the Internal Revenue Deparment at Washington. John Biddis, Sr., was one of the first four judges appointed by the Governor to hold a . Court of Common Pleas in Wayne County.

THE TOWN LAID OUT .- As already men- tioned, it was John Biddis, Sr., who planted the town of Milford and placed its lands in the market. It appears that he entered upon this project in 1793, but that it was not consum- mated until 1796. His plan involved the operation of a lottery, which he advertised widely, together with a description of the town site. Following is the advertisement which he issued :

" TO THE PUBLIC.

"Proposals for establishing a town on the River Delaware at the distance of 120 miles from Philadel- phia.

"The proprietor of that noted situation in Upper Smithfield township, in the county of Northampton, bounded on the River Delaware and Saw creek, gen- erally known by the name of Wells Ferry, having laid out a town, consisting of five thousand and thirty lots, where the road from Wyoming, Shoholy and Lechawaxen to the northward and to the Eastern States intersect on an elevated situation and com- manding eminence, so that it is effectually secured from inundation when there are freshes in the river, added to which, its fine, level surface or plain of a very considerable extent, over the whole of which, or town-flat, a never-failing supply of most excellent water can be introduced from a neighboring spring, the expense of which will be but trifling. Fronting the town, the River forms a natural cove or Eddy, possessing singular advantages for the sheltering of Boats and Lumber. Its prospects also of forming a capital seat for trade with the interior parts, as well of the State of New York and New Jersey as of Penn- sylvania, to a very considerable extent, and the meas- ures adopted by the Legislature of Pennsylvania for rendering the Delaware a safe navigation will, of course, turn those advantages of commerce which have heretofore proceeded to New York, to the city of Philadelphia. The streams which nearly form the

boundaries of this Town on the northwest and south- east are well known for their regular supplies of water, and must have their influence to prove the eli- gibility of situation for almost every manufacturing purpose. Its central situation renders it almost evi- dent that whenever a division of the county north of the Blue Mountain shall take place, which period cannot be far Distant, it will become the Seat of Jus- tice. The peculiar advantages in erecting Buildings at this place must be obvious, when the saw-mills already erected on the above-mentioned stream are taken into consideration. By taking thewhole of the above into a general view, it is conceived that there are few situations on the River possessed of so many natural advantages, and for the Better promoting the same, the Proprietor offers the following advantages : To erect one paper-mill, on an extensive plan, for the manufacture of Sheathing-Paper and Paste Boards, and all such kinds of paper as shall be deemed most advantageous, agreeable to a late important discovery of his own, and also to add five hundred dollars in Stock for carrying on the said manufactory for the term of seven years, for the benefit of the subscribers who shall appoint a Superintendent for the same, and also a factor to Reside in the city of Philadelphia to receive and dispose of the productions thereof.

" By referring to the annexed certificate, the Pro- prietor presumes that there needs nothing further to convince Subscribers of the advantage that may arise from the said Manufactory, but to assure them that the materials for the sheathing-paper is only Bark and hair, and that of Paste-board, Saw-Dust and Bark, with a small proportion of Junk.

"To each Town Lot there will be a proportion of two acres. This land lies situated without the Town, as will appear by referring to the plan to be seen at the City Tavern, and at the Dwelling of the Proprie- tor, adjacent to the premises. The number of Lots will be considered as so many Shares, for the dispos- ing of which a subscription is opened at twenty Dol- lars per share, to be paid in four quarterly install- ments, and, previous to any money being advanced, vouchers shall be produced for the performance of every matter. And all that would wish to promote the progress of Settling the Unimproved Lands North of the Blue Mountains, and also become instrumental in preserving the advantages of Commerce of a Large Scope of Country, to the City of Philadelphia, 'tis hoped will become Subscribers.

"The Mode for Settling the Town in Deeds will be given to the Subscribers for the holders thereof to make choice of any vacant Lot, whenever they shall be ready to erect tenantable Buildings thereon, and the out Lots to be numbered 1, 2, 3, &c., and whoever erects the first Building on a Town Lot takes No. 1 of the former, and so on in rotation.

" JOHN BIDDIS.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 139

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438