USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Hempfield > History of old Zion Evangelical Lutheran church in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Near Harrold's > Part 2
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6Cf. Whittier's poem "Maud Muller."
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14. (Patrimony). "The Germans set a great value upon patrimonial property." The idea prevails that a house and home should be possessed by a succession of generations.
15. (Superstition). "The German farmers are very much influenced in planting and pruning trees, also in sowing and reaping, by the age and appearance of the moon." They used the divining rod to find water. Thus: Taking a last years growth of a forked peach branch the two branches are grasped firmly with thumbs outward then the whole forked branch is twisted backward toward the body and upward, bringing the thumbs toward each other, then revolving them downward, backward and upward. This gives the peachfork a decided twist with the heavy base branch standing upward and slightly forward. Now the practitioner walks over the ground and when the vein of water is reached the peach base branch will twist downward toward the water. Magic arts of healing were also practiced. One book of magic is entitled "Albertus Mag- nus tried and approved sympathetic and natural Egyptian secrets, for man and beast." But it must not be understood that the German settler was more superstitious than other frontier men of the day. The entire country was oppressed with witchcraft and magic. The American Indian had his medicine man, who was nothing else than a witch and magi- . cian. The colonists elsewhere were burning witches about this time. Even today, people consult the horoscope and avoid Friday and the thirteenth as unlucky.
16. (Barns). "A German farm may be distinguished from the farms of the other citizens of the state by the superior size of their barns, the plain but compact form of their houses, the height of their enclosures, the extent of their or- chard, the fertility of their fields, the luxuriance of their meadows, all of which have a general appearance of plenty and neatness in everything that belongs to them,"7
7Faust,
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CHAPTER III . Explorations and Early Settlements in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
While the English, Dutch and Swedes were settling the Atlantic Seaboard, the French were busy exploring the great interior of America. Moving from Canada as a base, their expeditions under Joliet, Marquette, LaSalle and Hennepin, explored and fortified the great Mississippi Valley from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and the Ohio Valley from its tributaries to its entrance into the Mississippi. Hence, while England claimed the Atlantic seaboard and the hinter- land, France also claimed the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys by virtue of explorations.
In 1689 war broke out in Europe between France and England. One of the objects was the possession of India and America. This war (1689-1763), called The Hundred Years War, was taken up by their respective Colonies in America. The fourth section of this conflict (1754-1763) was known as the French and Indian War, and had for its purpose the control of the interior of the North American continent.
The French had built a line of Forts from Quebec to the Lakes and from thence to the Gulf of Mexico. To protect the Ohio Valley they erected Forts at Presque Isle on Lake Erie, Fort Le Boeuf, Fort Venango, a Fort on French Creek, and contemplated building a fort at the junction of the Alle- gheny and Monongahela Rivers.
Conrad Weiser, a German from the Palatine, and trusted Indian Agent, after pacifying the six nations in 1745 and
1
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regaining their friendship, was sent by the Governor of Pennsylvania in 1748, to treat with the Indians of the Ohio Valley. Weiser traveled through the mountains to the Ohio, and from thence to Logg's Town near Legionville on the Ohio river. His mission was to keep the Indians from an alliance with the French. He gathered full data of the French forts and settlements, and secured information concerning the intentions of the enemy. This information was invaluable when representatives of seven English colonies met in council with the chiefs of the Six Nations in order to secure an Alliance with the Six Nations against the French and Indians of the Ohio Valley. Weiser was able to repeat in the language of the Mohawks his experience with the French and Indians of the Ohio Valley, and he roused the animosity of the Six Na- tions against them, taking advantage of the Indians greed for land.1
Johanan Conrad Weiser, Jr., was born November 2, 1696 at Afstaedt, Germany. He migrated to America with his father in 1710. In November 1713 his father was visited by Quagnant, a chief of the Maquas, or Six Nations, who, tak- ing a great fancy to Conrad, requested that he might accom- pany him back. He did so, remaining with the tribe some eight months, during which time he suffered much but learned their language and customs thoroughly, and was adopted by them. This experience was invaluable to his country later. From 1732 until his death he was the recognized head of the Indian bureau of the English Government in the province. Respected alike by red man and white, because of his unques- tioned ability and uprightness, he maintained peace until war was unavoidable, and was even then instrumental in bringing its horrors to a close at the earliest possible date. He held many offices of trust and honor. At the outbreak of the French and Indian war, he was commissioned Lieut .- Colonel October
1Faust-German Element in the U. S., Vol. 1, page 273.
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31, 1755, and given command of the First Batalion, Pennsyl- vania Regiment and assigned to protect the frontier along the Blue Mountains. He was a sincere and earnest Christian, and a Lutheran. His daughter, Anna Maria, married Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the great organizer of the Lutheran Church in those times. He died suddenly in 1760.2
Another German who nobly served the colonies during the Indian trouble was Christian Frederick Post, a member of the Moravian Brotherhood. He made a journey to Kush- kushkee on Beaver Creek northwest of Fort Duquesne, to visit the Indians and to persuade them to remain neutral in the coming war between the French and Indians. In spite of the intrigues of the French, he accomplished his purpose, the Delawares remained peaceful. This made possible the great Council at Easton. This council sent a message of peace to the tribes of the Ohio. Frederick Post with several white and Indian companions was chosen to bear it. The French had stirred up the Indians and were present with peace offers from the French Commander when Post arrived. "There was a grand council at which the French officer was present, and Post delivered the peace message from the council at Easton with another, with which Forbes had charged him. The message pleased all the hearers except the French captain. The overtures of peace were accepted, and the Delawares, Shawanoes and Mingoes were no longer enemies of the English."3
This peace was especially important because it occurred immediately after the defeat and capture of Major Grant at Fort Duquesne. The desertion of the Indian allies led to the evacuation of Fort Duquesne and its capture by Gen. Forbes.
2Lutheran Cyclopedia.
3Parkman's Montcalm and Wolf quoted by Faust, etc.
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
In 1761 Post and Heckewelder attempted to found a mis- sion in Stark County, Ohio, but failed on account of Pontiac's war. In the autumn of 1767 Post returned to his Western In- dian congregation and remained there, the first pioneer. In the following year David Zeisberger founded an Indian con- gregation at Goshocking on the Allegheny River. About 1771 Gnadenhuetten and Salem, Ohio, were founded. The Indians were taught the arts of peace, to read and write, also to speak English and German. In 1775 the congregations numbered 414 persons.
In 1782 the Wyandots under the Scotch-Irish renegade, Simon Girty, ravaged the settlements of the upper Ohio. Evil tongues spread the report that the Christian Indians, who had come back to the Muskingum, had taken part in these savage raids. A conspiracy was former to destroy the Mora- vian villages. Early in March 1782 a company of volunteers gathered together under the command of Colonel David Wil- liamson of Washington Co. This company decended upon the Christian Indian village of Gnadenhuetten by stealth. Find- ing a few peaceful Indians on the outskirts of the town they slew them and took the town by surprise. The Indians were told that they would be taken to Fort Pitt, and that they should summon the settlers from the other towns of Salem and Schoenbrunn. Those of Salem came, the others fled. All were now seized and herded like sheep in two large barns, the men in one and the women and children in another. A mock trial was held by Williamson, in which the question was put, whether the captives should be taken to Fort Pitt or murdered. Williamson asked those who wished to spare the Indians to step out of the ranks, but only eighteen men showed any inclination toward mercy and humanity. The cowards next decided upon the plan of massacre. Some fa- vored burning them in the barns, but the majority, greedy for scalps, preferred to act as executioners. After giving the
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prisoners a brief time to prepare for death the assasins entered the prison barns and with club and knife butchered every man, woman and child. The only survivors were two boys, one had concealed himself under the floor and the other revived after being partially scalped. There was but one German in this company of over 80 men, a man named Bilderbach.3a
"Colonel Williamson was afterwards elected to office in Washington County and it is said died in jail as a debtor. County Lieutenant John Cannon was among them. It is said that the fiend who killed the fourteen with a mallet, was at the time a County Commissioner and justice of Washington County, and that he was subsequently elected Sheriff of the County. John Cannon founded Cannonsburg and from him the Academy so noted in the past took its name. Now this outrage, the blackest in Pennsylvania annals, was committed by a people who prided themselves on their advancement, wealth and culture, and who looked with scorn on the Dutch, i. e. Germans who in their dealings with the Indians, followed as far as possible the policy of William Penn."4
The Ohio Company organized in 1748, received a grant of 500,000 acres south of the Ohio and west of the Monongahela rivers. This scheme was a speculation in futures as clearly as the gambling in futures of grain. The land had never been purchased from the Indians, was not explored nor sur- veyed. The historic importance of this company is over- stated. Likewise the journey of Washington assumes large importance only by retrospection. True he performed his duty well, but he furnished little information that others had not already attained. The conquest of the Ohio did not proceed from Virginia, but from Pennsylvania. The military success of Washington in the Ohio country is not as brilliant as that of Col. Bouquet. It is the subsequent successes of
3aFaust German Element in U. S. Vol. 1, page 402.
4 Boucher, History of Westmoreland County.
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Washington that lends additional interest to his Ohio country work.
The Ohio company wished to colonize their grant with a hundred families of Pennsylvania Germans but the offer was rejected because they objected to supporting an English (Episcopal) clergymen. They proposed to furnish the fami- lies if they were allowed their own pastors.
In 1755 occurred Braddock's defeat. Among the pro- vincials troops were a number of Germans. The Kimmels are said to have been with Braddock's Army and to have settled in Westmoreland shortly afterward.
In 1758 General Forbes marched against Fort Duquesne. The new route was chosen because it was shorter and con- nected with a large source of supplies (see Chapter II). Major Grant, sent out by order of Bouquet to learn the strength of the enemy was captured and a large part of his force destroyed. Flushed with success the French, now under Command of De Vitri, attacked the Camp at Loyalhanna, now Ligonier. It is noteworthy that while De Vitri had 1200 soldiers, only 200 Indians accompanied him, and through the efforts of Christian Frederick Post the Indian allies left Fort Pitt, making the evacuation of the Fort necessary. The at- tack at Camp Loyalhanna was unsuccessful.
Forbes arrived at Loyalhanna on November 6th. The outlook was gloomy and Washington says an abandonment of the expedition was contemplated. But through captives it was learned of the weakness of the French Fort and the de- sertion of the Indian allies, therefore, Forbes pressed on and when the scouts reached the Fort they found it abandoned and set on fire.
Capt. Beaujeu with about 200 French and Canadians and 600 Indians defeated Braddock's Army of 1200 picked sol- diers. General Forbes could not have had more than about 4000 effective soldiers and the French had at least 1200 men.
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If the thousands of Indians had remained loyal to the French, they could have withstood a siege until re-enforcements could have arrived; for the French and Indians commanded the waterways. Posts work in winning the Indians to a peace with the English had a decisive influence on the campaign.
"Bouquet writes to Chief Justice Allen, November 25, 1758, quoted from Parkham; Montcalm and Wolfe, Vol. II, page 161: "After God, the success of this expedition is en- tirely due to the general (Gen. Forbes) who by bringing about the treaty with the Indians at Easton struck the French a stunning blow, wisely delayed our advance to wait the ef- fects of that treaty, secured all our posts, and left nothing to chance, and resisted the urgent solicitation to take Braddock's road, which would have been our destruction. In all his measures he has shown the greatest prudence, firmness and ability."5
Immediately following Forbes army came the first real settlers of the territory now called Westmoreland County. The Pennsylvania and Virginia soldiers of this army were largely disbanded in the early part of 1759. Many of them with their families immediately started west in pursuit of new homes. Many pushed on west to the Ohio valley. Those who stopped here settled mainly along the Forbes road and south of it. Some never returned with Forbes at all. Some of them settled without any right, on choice land, which they expected to own by right of occupancy. To others was granted land by what was called military permits. The following is a military permit. "By Arthur St. Clair, Late Lieutenant in his Majesty's Sixtieth Regiment of foot, having care of His Majesty's Fort at Ligonier. I have given permission to Frederick Rohrer to cultivate a certain piece of land in the neighborhood of Fort Ligonier, over a certain creek, which empties into the Loyalhanna known by the name of Coal Pit
5Faust, Vol. 1, page 278.
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Creek; beginning at a White Oak standing on a spring and marked with three letters F. X. R., and running from thence to another tree marked with the same letters and standing on another spring called Falling Spring, and from these two marked trees to the said Coal Pit Creek supposed to contain two hundred acres: He the said Frederick Rohrer being willing to submit to all orders of the Commander in Chief, the Commanding officer of the District and of the Garrison. Given under my hand at Ligonier this 11th day of April 1767. Ar. St. Clair.6
The entire country was overrun by the Indians and it is natural that the first settlers should build cabins around the forts, such as Ligonier and Fort Pitt. But soon the hardy soldiers and others dared to seek out the rich lands south of the Forbes road. Andrew Byerly, whose land warrant was No. 36 for 236 acres, settled in the Brush Creek valley along the Forbes road in 1759. Christopher Rudebaugh and several others followed closely and took up lands. John Herold sold lands near Greensburg to Detars in 1760. Andrew Harmon settled in the Ligonier Valley in 1769. Michael Rodenbaugh came about 1760. Christopher and Daniel Herold settled near Youngwood about the same time. Christopher Walthour came in 1764 and purchased a mill site from John Roden- baugh, at the junction of Bushy Run and Brush Creek. John Peter Miller came in 1764. John Wagle came in 1765. The Kimmels came with Braddock's army in 1755, withdrew and became hunters and farmers and many other German settlers whose names appear on the early church register came at this early date.
The Indian war called "Pontiac's Conspiracy" drove these early settlers back to the forts. Pontiac was Chief of the Ottawa tribe. He fought with the French at Braddock's de- feat. In military matters he was a Napoleon and in diplomacy
6 Boucher History of Westmoreland County.
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a Bismarck. Parkman rates him as the ablest leader the In- dians ever produced. His home centered about Detroit. Eigh- teen nations or tribes entered in the Conspiracy. From part of the Six Nations of New York down to the Gulf of Mexico the Conspiracy ran strong. It was planned that a blow should be struck suddenly at all the Forts in the Ohio and Lake region. This storm burst upon the settlers in the Spring of 1763. Nine forts and posts were captured by stratagem or assaults. Detroit, Niagara and Fort Pitt were attacked about the same time.
Pittsburgh was then but a village. In July 21, 1760 the population of Pittsburgh consisted of :
Houses 146
Unfinished Houses
19
Huts
36
Total
201
Number of men 88
Number of women
29
Number of male children
14
Number of female children
18
Total
141
Exclusive of those in the Fort.
Fort Pitt was commanded by Captain Simeon Ecuyer, a Swiss officer and a small garrison of 330 soldiers, traders and backwoodsmen.
On the date May 29, 1763 Captain Ecuyer writes to Colonel Bouquet about the uprising of the Indians and adds "Just as I had finished my letter three men came in from Clapham's with the Melancholy News, that yesterday, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the Indians murdered Clapham, and every body in his house: These three men were out at work,
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and escaped through the woods. I immediately armed them, and sent them to assist our people at Bushy Run. The Indians have told Byerly to leave his place in four days, or he and his family would all be murdered : I am uneasy for the little posts -as for this I will answer for it." .S. Ecuyer.7
"As Ecuyer states, Byerly had received warning but his family was in no condition to be moved. Mrs. Byerly had just been confined and the departure was delayed as long as possible, indeed until certain death was imminent if the flight should be any longer postponed. Byerly had gone with a small party (perhaps Clapham's men referred to above) to bury some persons who had been killed at some distance from his station. A friendly Indian who had often received a bowl of milk and bread from Mrs. Byerly came to the house after dark and informed the family that they would all be killed if they did not make their escape before daylight. Mrs. Byerly got up from her sick couch and wrote the tidings on the door of the house for the information of her husband when he should return. A horse was saddled on which the mother with her tender babe three days old in her arms, was placed, and a child not two years old was fastened behind her.
"Michael Byerly was a good sized lad, but Jacob was only three years old and had a painful stone bruise on one of his feet. With the aid of his older brother who held him by the hand and sometimes carried him on his back, the little fellow, however, managed to make good time through the wilderness to Fort Ligonier, about thirty miles distant. But although he reached his ninety-ninth year he never forgot that race for life in his childhood, nor did he feel like giving quar- ter to hostile Indians, one of whom he killed on an island in the Allegheny in a fight under Lieutenant Hardin in 1779, although the savage begged for quarters.
7Frontier Forts.
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"Milk cows were highly prized by frontier families in those days, and the Byerly family made a desperate effort to coax and drive their small herd along to Fort Ligonier. But the howling savages got so close that they were obliged to leave the cattle in the woods to be destroyed by the Indians. Byerly in some way eluded the Indians and joined his family in the retreat. They barely escaped with their lives. The first night they spent in the stockade, and in the morning the bul- lets of the pursuers struck the gates as the family pressed in- to the fort."8
Lieutenant Archibald Blane with a detachment of Royal Americans commanded the Fort. Colonel Bouquet of the first battalion of Royal Americans had his headquarters at Phila- delphia at this time. The Royal Americans, broken into de- tachment, had held the line of forts and posts on the western frontier for over six years. As soon as the outbreak became known Bouquet started westward. Part of the 42nd Regiment of Royal Highlanders and the 77th Montgomerys Highlanders were added to his command.
About Carlisle all was consternation. Reports came in of the Indian ravages. The country between the mountains and the Susquehanna was abandoned. Two thousand families left their homes and fled. At Shippensburg on July 25, 1763 there were 1384 fugitives. At Bedford conditions were simi- lar.
Wendel (Uhrig) Ourry of Bedford sent a detachment to relieve Fort Ligonier. Bouquet also threw forward thirty men for the same purpose. On August 2 Bouquet reached Ligonier with his army. Leaving there his heavier baggage he started, August 4th, to relieve Fort Pitt. A band of fron- tiersmen and scouts led the way. These were supported by a band of pioneers. The wagons and cattle were in the center
8Col. Henry Bouquet and his campaign, Cort.
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guarded by the Highlanders, a rear guard of backwoodsmen brought up the rear.
The Highlanders were brave men but knew little of Indian fighting. Bouquet wrote "I cannot send a Highlander out of my sight without running the risk of losing the man, which exposes me to surprises from the skulking villains I have to deal with."
Andrew Byerly accompanied the army. By one o'clock the army was approaching Bushy Run. Byerly with eighteen men of the Royal Americans was in the advance, when sud- denly this advance guard was fired upon from ambush. Twelve out of the eighteen men fell before the other columns could come up. Bouquet formed his men for the defense. The Highlanders were brave but they furnished an open tar- get for the Indians. They charged repeatedly with bayonets but the savage gave way only to return again when the Scotch- men returned to their line. About sixty men fell that after- noon, and many of the officers were killed and wounded. Lieutenant Dow of the Royal Americans was seriously wound- ed after killing three Indians.
That night the army suffered much from thirst. Byerly, at great risk, brought several hatsfull of water from a neigh- boring spring which allayed the thirst of the wounded. The next day the battle was renewed at dawn. By stratagem Bou- quet drew the savages from their protection and attacked them on front and flank. The Indians fought bravely but could not withstand the bayonet charge in front and the flank fire. Seeing that they had been entrapped, the Indians broke and fled, leaving sixty dead on the field. Bouquet's army lost fifty killed, sixty wounded and five missing. The casualties among the Highlanders were greater than among the Royal Americans and Rangers: the latter fought in Indian fashion while the former used open tactics.
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In a few days the army pressed on and relieved Fort Pitt. "The battle of Bushy Run, says Parkman, was one of the best contested actions ever fought between white men and Indians." Colonel Bouquet and Gen. Herkimer rank among the very foremost Indian fighters. Of Herkimer, Washington says, "It was Herkimer who first reversed the gloomy scene." (Burgoynes campaign).
A word should be said of the Royal American Regiment. "This regiment was authorized by act of Parliament. It was to consist of four battalions of one thousand each, and in- tended to be raised chiefly of the Germans and Swiss, who, for many years past, had come to America, where waste land had been assigned them on the frontiers. They were generally strong, hardy men, accustomed to the climate. It was neces- sary to appoint some officers, especially subalterns who un- derstood military discipline and could speak the German lan- guage : and as a sufficient number could not be found among the English officers, it was further necessary to bring over and grant commissions to several German and Swiss officers and engineers.""
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