History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 76

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 76
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 76
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 76

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ners can be driven off, we can move into their house; Ross and Evans will help Clark, and they will soon put up a house for you at the end of the flat.'

"' Yes,' said Mrs. Clark, 'All very good, but here we are fretting about the inactivity of our husbands, when we have the power to put ourselves in possession without their assistance. We are all stout women, and Skinner's wife, you know, is a little bit of a thing, and Phœbe but a child. If I am not mistaken, they are both very cowardly, and all we have to do is to put their things out and ours in. If they resist, I will hold Mrs. Skinner. Once in, we will have full possession.'

" The business was accomplished in their own estimation, and accordingly, without further delay, they went to work to put the scheme into execution. When they came to the house they found Phobe with the three children, -Reuben, about five ; Daniel, three ; and Lillie, an infant of two months old. Mrs. Skinner had gone a short distance on some errand. Finding the premises in this favorable condition, they antic- ipated no resistance and fancied themselves al- ready in possession of the coveted acquisition. But alas ! how deceptive are human efforts, founded on our own calculations. They did not know that they were fishing for a tartar. (' Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things ?'-Psalm ii. 1. 'Because the people's hearts are waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and under- stand with their hearts'-Mat. xiii. 15.) Be- fore I can convey any adequate idea of this affair, it is necessary to describe the character of those who are about to engage in one of the greatest conflicts ever recorded.

" Aunt Hulda and Aunt Sarah were sisters of Uncle Moses Thomas, who was killed at the famous battle of Lackawaxen, and daughters of Moses Thomas, who was killed by the Indians at Cochecton, in November, 1762. At this time Aunt Hulda lived in the block-house with her father and mother. Her father went out to look for the Indians at the same time the Indians were looking for him, and they shot

447

WAYNE COUNTY.

him and another man by the name of Willis, at the mouth of the brook, so that Aunt Hulda and a sister then about seven years old, who, in process of time became Aunt Hannah, had to supply the places of two men and hold their muskets in the loop-holes to defend the fort. It was thus they became warriors ;1 Aunt Sarah and Mrs. Clark were stout women and both noted for their Amazonian character. But, ' the battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift.' Skinner's wife was a small women, very quick in motion, sprightly and determined. When her temper was up she feared nothing. Her mother died when she was a child, and being very poor, she was brought up in the family of a physician. Her father went into

1 From the account given by Quinlan in " Tom Quick," there seem to have been but three men in the neighbor- hood at this time. They were Moses Thomas (1st), Hilkialı Willis and a man named Witters, to whose care a large number of women and children had been committed. The block-house, which stood but a few feet from the river, was well supplied with arms and ammunition, and had it been stocked with provision, a small garrison could have bidden defiance to the savages. There had been some reports of hostile Indiaus, but it was not supposed they were near, and in the morning Willis directed his two sons to go to his farm and winnow some buckwheat which had been thrashed the day before. The lads complied rather un- willingly, and soon returned and reported the approach of the savages. Supposing it was only a ruse to avoid the task to which they had been set, Willis and his companions at first paid little attention to their story ; but the boys were so vehement in their protestations, that at last the three men went out to reconnoiter, while the women and children retreated to the block-house. Thomas and his two companions proceeded rather incautiously down the river about half a mile, when they came upon the Indians, who were in a turnip patch. As the scouts came over a slight rise above the patch, the marauders caught sight of them and immediately fired. Thomas was killedI iu-tantly and Willis fell badly wounded. Witters escaped and fled to the block-house, where the women had fled in great ex- citement on hearing the firing. Witters knew that the fate of the women and children depended upon his sagacity and courage, and realized that it would be impossible for him to cope with the foe unless he could keep them at bay until assistance arrived. He at once dispatched Moses Thomas (2d), then but a little lad, to warn the settlers above the block-house of the impending danger and ask their immediate aid. The boy, fleet of foot, reached his destination iu safety, but found that the alarm had pre- ceded him. The settlers had heard the guns of the In- dians and sought safety in the woods, making the best of their way toward Esopus. Meanwhile, Witters rallied the Women, and when the Indians came to the block-house, a

the army against the French, and was killed at Cape Breton in May, 1745. She remained with the doctor until she was between fourteen and fifteen years old, and was always so em- ployed as to keep her faculties, both corporeal and mental, in active operation, so that she was prepared to take hier own part. She was said to be very beautiful, and in consequence had many admirers. She finally married a man by the name of Richardson, and bare liim a daugh- ter called Phoebe. About 1755 Richardson went into the army and was killed at Brad- dock's defeat. After this his widow lived with a married sister until March 11, 1761, when she became the wife of Daniel Skinner.

" Now that I have described the champions whose process decided the fate of St. Tammany

musket protruded from every loop-hole, while the single brave man in the little stockade gave orders in a loud military tone to an imaginary force of soldiery. He gave orders to shoot every Indian that approached the fort, and by his capital mimicry awed the savages into the belief that the garrison was a strong one, and intended to defend the block-house to the last extremity. The Indians cowered under the cover of a green bank, and challenged the gar- rison to come out and fight in open field, but received in reply only scornful laughter and an occasional telling shot from Witter's unfailing rifle. Thus the deception was kept up until near evening, the Indians having determined upon a regular siege. A new source of uneasiness then presented itself to the gallant Witters. A quantity of hay had been carelessly left quite near the block-house, and he became convinced that the savages would take advantage of the darkness to fire it, and burn out what they supposed to be a strong force. In this he was not mistaken, for about dusk he noticed an Indian stealthily crawling toward the hay. Witters gave a signal, which he had pre- viously arranged with the women, and every gun in the block house sent a broadside, and the brave sprang to his feet with a yell of pain and fell dead. This so intimidated the besiegers that they recovered the body of their com- panion, and after hastily interring it, retreated toward Calkins' Creek. Elias Thomas (2d), and Jacob Denny, two lads under eleven years of age, had been sent to Mini- sink to ask aid, and a party of soldiers was sent to the rescue. When they arrived at the block house, it was found that the canoes which had brought them would . not accommodate all the rescued party and that one must be left behind. Among the party was a women who had an idiot child, and the soldiers decided that the girl should be the one to remain. In vain did the poor mother plead to be left with her unfortunate child. She was not allowed this consolation, but was forced into the canoe, where she hid her face in her hands to screen the sight of the deserted one and drown its inarticulate cries of woe with her own moans.

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Flats, we will return to the field of battle. Phobe was about thirteen years old at this time, a stout girl, possessed of some of her mother's spunk. As the besiegers advanced, Aunt Hul- da carried out some of the things; Phoebe car- ried them back. Aunt Hulda throws out others, and when Phoebe attempts to restore them to their places, Mrs. Clark attempts to hold her, but Phobe, by a trip of the foot which she had learned of the Yankee boys, brought her heavily to the floor, catching her by the hair, commenced to wring her neck, as she has seen them do that of a fowl. This treatment, together with the fall, so far disabled Mrs. Clark that she seemed quite lifeless. At this stage of the proceedings Mrs. Skinner ar- rived, and seeing Phobe thus engaged, ran to take her off her prostrate adversary ; but Aunt Hulda, supposing Mrs. Skinner intended to fight, knocked her down with a stone, cutting a free-flowing gash in her head, and then, catching her by the hair, called upon Aunt Sarah for help. Phobe, who had by this time rendered her opponent harmless, sprang to her mother's assistance, and was immediately at- tacked by Aunt Sarah.

" Now the battle commenced in earnest, each having a single opponent. I shall not tell of their many collisions ; suffice it that the belliger- ents were soon without caps or hair. There is no knowing how long this fight would have continued, nor what would have been the result of it, had it not so happened that where Skin- ner's wife was engaged there was a small pail of ashes, which she thought might staunch her bleeding head. She grasped a handful for this purpose, but, instead of applying it to her head, she crammed it into the mouth and eyes of Aunt Hulda, and, perceiving the effect, she instantly repeated the dose. Now, as her mouth and eyes were well charged with this substance, Aunt Hulda could neither see nor scold, and was, of course, entirely unqualified to continue the con- flict. As soon as possible she made her escape in search of water, leaving Mrs. Skinner to turn her attention to Phobe and Sarah, who were both exhausted by this time and had come to au armistice till they could get their breaths. Mrs. Clark, too, had recovered and came for-

ward suing for peace. Shortly afterward Aunt Hulda returned from the river, where she had been to wash the ashes out of her eyes, and all sat down to talk over the matter and arrange the preliminaries of peace. Each lamented that she had lost her cap and hair, and each consoled herself that the others had equally lost. Greed and revenge were both cooled down and reason once more assumed dominion, each party hav- ing found by experience that there was no pleasure in having the hair pulled, and that they who pull hair must expect to have hair pulled in return. (' With what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you again.'-Matt. vii. 2. ' He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.'-Rev. xiii. 10. 'For all that take the sword shall perish by the sword.'- Mat. xxvi. 52). Under these considerations none were anxious to renew the fight. All were losing precious blood from the ends of their nasal organs, and the wound on Mrs. Skinner's head was still bleeding profusely. What a sub- ject for a painter ! Five respectable ladies, all without caps, bald-headed, their clothes in tat- ters and covered with blood and dust ! Thus they sat for a few minutes, gazing ruefully upon themselves and on one another, and then, with one accord, they went to the river and applied the waters of the Delaware, not to wash away their sins after repentance, but to remove the grime from their faces and stanch the crimson rivulets that still trickled from their cuts and wounds. While thus employed, the besieging ladies explained their object in the attack, their prospects and motives had it succeeded, and, ac- knowledging their wrong, prayed for forgive- ness and promised reformation. On this Mrs. Skinner sent Phobe, who had suffered least by the conflict, to the house with orders to put on the tea-kettle, bake a Johnny-cake, boil some potatoes, roast some dried eels and cut up some jerk. This she accomplished in due season and the meal was placed upon the table, around which these ladies seated themselves and partook of the dainties with cheerfulness and harmony. The attacking party exonerated themselves as best they could, throwing the blame on their neighbors, A. B. and C., and entered into a covenant of friendship that was never afterward

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violated. Aunt Sarah and Mrs. Skinner lived within half a mile of each other for many years and always in perpetual harmony."

From a document still on file in Northamp- ton County, it appears that a warrant was is- sued by William Allen, dated June 4, 1761, di- recting the sheriff to arrest Daniel Skinner, Timothy Skinner, Simeon Calkins, John Smith, Jedidiah Willis, James Adams, Irion Adams and others for intruding upon the Indian lands about Cochecton without leave. This, I imagine, was the reason that prevented Skinner from moving to Cochecton immediately after he was married. On Christmas day, 1771, many of the inhabitants collected at the house of Nich- olas Conklin, where they met a number of In- dians, among whom was a Tuscarora chief, called Captain John. This Indian had become troublesome in consequence of drinking too much rum, and was flourishing a knife, with which he had already gashed the arm of one man. Daniel Skinner and his brother, Haggai, were present, and, turning to the latter, Captain John ordered him to give him another drink. This he refused to do, and Daniel Skinner told the Indian he had already had too much. At this the Indian stepped forward to Skinner and struck at him. Skinner, warding off the blow with one hand, knocked down his assailant with the other, and, after having secured the knife, held him until a cope was procured, and he was tied so as to prevent further mischief. This soon sobered him, and when he was liberated he was very friendly, expressing his gratitude to Skinuer for preventing him from doing any more mischief and offering to pay for what he had done. He laid all the trouble to the rum he had been foolishly drinking, and, taking Skinner by the hand, told him he would always respect him and remember him as a special friend, because he had refused to give him rum. Thus the affray was ended ; pale face and red man were on amicable terms and it was supposed by all present that such was to be the end of the affair. Such would have been the case had there been none of those littled-souled animals in the neighborhood,

" Who pine to hear the voice of truth proclaim A neighbor's virtue, or another's fame." 43

Whenever the transaction was afterwards mentioned, Skinner was applauded, especially by the Indians, who always spoke in his praise and said he was the greatest and best man in Cochecton. Some time in May, 1772, how- ever, he received the following in a letter from James Welsh, in Upper Smithfield :

" EASTON, 17 April, 1772. " MR. JAMES WELSH :

"Inclosed you will receive a Warrent against Dan- iel and Hagga Skinner For beating and wounding several Indian Cheafs of the Oneida, Tuskarora and Mohickan Indians, which in its consequences may involve the provence in a bloody ware with those In- dians unless the aforesaid Daniel and Hagga Skinner are brought to condine punishment: according to law: You are commanded to procede to Coshethton taking with you a sufficient strength and bring them before me to answer for their miss conduct and irreg- ular proceedings And this you are by no means to neglect or Fail at your peril And I do Further re- quire that you will execute the said Warrent within the space of Forteen days From the time you receive it and make returns of your doing therein after its execution to me without delay it being by the express orders of the Governor and Council.

" Your humble Sert.

" LEWIS GORDON. "Mr. James Welsh, constable in Upper Smithfield."

This same letter directed him to bring Nat. Evans1 without fail. This was a difficult task, as there was no authority within forty or fifty miles, and Skinner knew that Evans, having been the cause of the trouble, would not go wil- lingly. Now, Evans, having discovered what he supposed to be a valuable mine, Skinner agreed with a blacksmith by the name of Coolcy to try Evans' ore. According to the plan, Evans was to fetch his ore in the night and work the bellows, while Cooley attended to the fire, in order to get a sufficient heat to do the melting. This was carried out, and while they were thus employed, Skinner and his brother, Haggai, rushed in upon Evans, and, with the assistance of Cooley, bound him, put him into a canoe and started down the river in search of a justice of the peaec. The next day they found Abraham

1 " Nathaniel Evans was a mischief-making fellow and a nuisance to the residents of the valley. He un- doubtedly made himself so obnoxious that Cochecton was not a pleasant locality to him, and left." -Quinlan.

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Van Auken, before whom Evans made this deposition :

" Sussex / Eastern } County Jersey ) SS.

" This Deposition of Nathaniel Evons taken before me Abraham Vanauken one of his Majesties Jus- tices of peace for the province and County aforesaid This deponent being duly sworn on the holy Evan- gelest of Almighty God saith that near the last of February 1772 one Joseph Ross and Aaron Thomas both of Shochorton1 did imploy him to carry a letter to the Tuskarores Cheiff Capt. John in order to rais an insurrection on some or all the inhabitnts of Shochorton and said Indians : which said letter the said Nathaniel Evons did also at the request of the Indians carry to the Governor of Pennsylvania and did also receive a letter From the Secretary of Penn- sylvania directed in answer to said Indians Which letter the said Evons did direct to Capt. John and further this deponent saith not. Given under my hand and scal 21st May 1772.

" ABRAHAM VANAUKEN."

After obtaining this deposition they let Evans go, and proceeded to Easton, having previously obtained the following letter of recommenda- tion :

" To All Whom it May Concerne :

"Know ye that Daniel Skinner whome is com- plained of For abusing the Indians did settle with said Indians last winter before that any complaint was made to the Cheafs as can be easily proved by the Indians themselves and others and the Indians is free and willing that he should stay and improve his land as he has done before and it is something likely it was ont of some ill will that the Complaint was made against Daniel Skinner and his brother Hagga as consequently it will appear and as for the quarrel that hapened on Christmas day the said Skinners were peacable together and some other people at Nicholas Conklin's when the Indians themselves was something in liquor and began with said Skinner for to give them some Rum and said Skinner would not and the Indian was out of humor and struck said Skinner and the said Skinner struck said Indian back again and it came to some head the Indian stabed one man and after the Indian came to himself he acknowledged he was in the wrong and said he would make satisfaction For the damage he had done and would not have ben any more noise about it if it had not ben for Nathaniel Evons as the Indians say This we can attest to Coshethton May 10 1772. " NICHOLAS CONKLIN

" JOHN LASSLEY

" ELIZABETH CONKLIN

"WILLIAM CONKLIN."

" To all whome it May Concearne :

" Whereas we the subscribers are informed That Nathaniel Evons has entred a Complaint to Governor Pen against Daniel Skinner For his abusing some (Indians).

" This is to certify that we know of no abuse given by said Daniel Skinner to the Indians at any time And we further certify that Daniel Skinner as far as we know him to be an Honest industrious and peaca- ble man both to his neighbors and the Indians This we the subscriber do Certify to the Gentlemen it may concern.

"MINESINK May 5th 1772.

" Abraham Westbrook Lanes Westbrook

Abraham Skinner Martines Westbrook

Garret Decker Antony Daykan

Benjamin Depui

Yohanas Decker

Abr'm Vanauken, Esq

Thomas Hoyter Isaac Vantoyle Neamiah Paterson

Johan Midcaugh Nicholas Conklin

Samuel Gunsales Phineous Cleark

Abraham Vananken Lemuel Westbrook

Ruben Cooley Robert Land."

" When Skinner arrived at Easton and pre- sented himself and his papers to the proper authorities, he found no one to prosecute the complaint, and, of course, was honorably dis- charged. He returned to pursue his business as before, but soon discovered that his family would not be safe at Cochecton, and, being dis- couraged in many efforts to obtain a permanent title, he concluded to quit the country and try his fortune in some other place. His brothers, Timothy and Abner, had purchased land from Henry Wisner, of Goshen, called the Shungank Kill Meadows, their titles dating from Decem- ber 13, 1767, and during the six years they had lived there, the title had not been disputed. As Wisner had in the same tract about seven hun- dred acres unsold, he (Skinner) purchased it for £300 lawful money of New York. This deed is dated June 15, 1773, at which timc Skinner's family were living on the premises of his broth- er Timothy, having moved from Cochecton some time in the latter part of November, 1772. The cause of his leaving Cochecton was as fol- lows :

" About the year 1770 he concluded to take a title from Pennsylvania, and accordingly got a survey of one hundred and forty acres of land, and petitioned to the Governor to give him a grant for the same. This was opposed

1 Both of these men lived at Cochecton. The name Shochorton has not been met with elsewhere.

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WAYNE COUNTY.

by James Hayes, who was what was then called a 'land jobber,'-that is one whose business it is to find a tract of land and make out a description stating where the vacant land could be found ; this was called locating. Skinner having had his land surveyed under the Yankee title, it was not difficult for Hayes to locate it, and as there were many who wanted the same location, it would sell for a large sum. Under these con- siderations, Hayes opposed the grantto Skinner, and in order to sustain his position, made some false statements relating to Skinner's character. The Governor and Council inquired into these, and ascertaining their falsity, gave Skinner a patent dated May 3, 1775.

" While he had lived in Shawangunk his daughter Phobe became the wife of Garshim Smith, and immediately after receiving the patent, accompanied by Smith and his wife, Skinner returned to Cochecton. Smith was a carpenter, and went with him to build the house. Skinner united with Bezaleel Tyler and bought the Hollister place. They built a saw-mill on Hollister Creek, and he put up his new house, into which he calculated to move his family abont the 1st of May, 1777, or as soon as his wife should be sufficiently recovered to bear the fatigue of the journey, she having been put to bed on the 4th of April. About this time the Committee of Safety, pursuant to complaint made by the people that had moved from Co- checton, sent their mandate to a number of the inhabitants to appear and show cause why they should not be imprisoned. This was some time in April, 1777, and among those who were summoned were Francis Little, Robert Land and Bryant Kane.1 Kane, anticipating that he would sent to jail, kept out of the way, but Little and his family and Land and his

wife appeared to answer. Nicholas Conklin was called as a witness against Land. Mrs. Land shook her fist in his face, and called him a number of opprobrious epithets, but notwith- standing her tirade, Land was condemned to prison, but he eluded the vigilance of his captors and made his escape. Mrs. Land learned that a scouting-party was to come up the river shortly, and hurried home, took her infant, then about three months old, and with her eldest son, then about nineteen, drove their cattle into the woods to keep them out of the way of the scouts, and did not return until the next day. During the night Kane's family was killed and that of Land visited by the Indians, who came up while all the occupants were asleep. At Land's house were two young women,-Phoebe, about thirteen, and Rebecca, about fifteen,-and two boys,-Robert and Abel, the latter about seven- teen. The Indians came to the house about daylight, and going to the bed where the girls were sleeping, waked them by tickling the soles of their feet with the point of a spear. Captain John, a chief of the Tuscaroras, who has before been referred to, was in the habit of visiting their house, and was quite friendly. The youngest girl, supposing he was their visitor, held ont her hand and said, ' How do you do, Captain John.' The Indian asked her if shc knew Captain John, and she told him she did, but that now she saw she was mistaken. He said they were Mohawks, and that they had come to drive the people from the conntry, but that she might put on her clothes and go as soon as possible and warn the people, that they might not all be killed. Accordingly, she crossed the river and went first to Bryant Kane's and found them all dead except one little girl, who, still living, was wallowing in her blood in a clump of bushes where she had been scalped. Seeing this, she ran up the river to Mitchell's and gave the alarm, and then returned home. Meanwhile the Indians had bound her brother Abel and taken him with them, without doing any other mischief. They went up Calkins' Creek and were there met by a party of Co- checton Indians, who were friends of the whites and also to the cause of liberty. These used all

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 76

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