History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 9

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 9

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The garrison was strengthened at a most critical and opportune time. No one dared now venture out- side the limits of the stockade. All such domestic animals as were suffered to wander were destroyed by the besieging party. There were many skirmishes about the fort; indeed, one continuous skirmish, if we trust the reports on good authority handed down to us. Many of the redskins were killed. Among them and urging them on were some renegade French Canadians, although at that time there was no war between the two countries.

The good conduct of Lieut. Blaine is greatly to be extolled. He hau his hands full. All the distressed families for a distance of twelve and fifteen miles around had on the first alarm fled to the fort for pro- tection, they having left most of their effects a prey to the savages.' Blaine, however, took every precaution to prevent a surprise and to repel another attack. The Indians by this time had become expert in one of the arts of war peculiar to their mode, and this they had practiced during this invasion with gratify- ing success. They prepared inflammable substances which they bound to their arrows, and these they shot into the roofs of the cabins inside the stockade and wherever else there was combustible material. But Blaine had guards watching incessantly, and otherwise took every known means to render these missiles ineffectual. He had arms enough at hand for the men who had gathered thither, and they he armed and made perform military duty. He formed them into two companies of volunteers, and they did duty with the garrison till the two companies of light infantry which were detached from Bouquet's force arrived.

In the mean time was Col. Bouquet hastening from the East to the distressed posts. All effective troops at command were turned for the support of the more important positions along the northern frontiers, where Britain was maintaining her foothold on the very threshold of her empire. Bouquet was ordered to relieve Fort Pitt with stores and provisions, and to reinforce it and the intermediate posts with his com- mand. His available forces were the shattered re- mains of two regiments which had just landed at Philadelphia from the campaign in the West Indies,? where they had been fighting Spaniards, the yellow fever, and malaria. Such was the main part of the

army on which he had to rely in reaching a post three hundred miles away, cut off and surrounded by enemies of whose disposition the men had no knowledge only from rumor. These in number did not exceed five hundred, of whom many were so weak they were not able to walk, and sixty were carried in wagons to be left at the smaller posta. The govern- ment of Pennsylvania had given orders to prepare a convoy of provisions for the forces along the mute, and especially at Carlisle; but such was the utter helplessness of the country through which they passed-its crops burnt, its plantations destroyed- that when Bouquet came up nothing had been done. Nay, even the greater portion of Cumberland County was deserted, and the roads were filled with flying refugecs. But by delaying at Carlisle for some eigh- teen days, towards the latter end of July, 1763, and by the unwearied diligence of the colonel, provisions from the neighboring counties were accumulated in sufficiency to allow him to proceed. His small num- ber of sickly troops, who were to fight an enemy not unknown to Braddock, instead of encouraging the in- habitants rather made them dejected the more. Now, after their proffers of assistance and their activity on the first outbreak of the war, they did not in any number volunteer to assist the brave Swiss colonel and his English redcoats.

Bouquet, thoughtful as he always was, and not knowing of the action of Captain Ourry in forwarding the twenty volunteers fromn Bedford, sent forward, be- fore he left Carlisle, thirty men to join the garrison at Ligonier. This was before July, 1763. They came in a hurried march, and, hazardous as was the under- taking, were not discovered till they came to the fort. Receiving some shot as they ran, they securely en- tered into the little stockade.

Bouquet toilsomely dragged his little army along. Everywhere he came he heard and saw the signs of. Indian atrocities, for their war was not carried on by them in a body, but in many places and at different times. One day a horse laden with merchandise would be captured between Carlisle and Bedford and the driver killed; the next day a settler who had ventured from the stockade at Ligonier would be taken captive and hurried to the Indian country in the West. Even in the rear of the army, as it pro- ceeded, were many waylaid and killed. He could get no idea of their numbers, their positions, their intentions. He could find no enemy to fight ; he could hear of no place to attack them. He had ex- pected to venture battle with them at Bedford, for about there they had murdered many, although they did not attack the fort. But when he came there they were all scattered. On the other hand, the In- dians, by their fleet runners through the woods, knew of every movement of his.

On the 25th of July it was that Bonquet arrived at Bedford; on the 1st of August he reached Ligonier. His presence here relieved those whom he found in

1 Rupp's " History Western Pennsylvania," p. 158.

" These were the Forty -second and the Seventy-seventh Regiments.

Digitized by Google

FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN WESTMORELAND-BATTLE OF BUSIIY RUN, 1763. 35

the greatest fear. On reaching Ligonier he deter- mined, according to the narrative, to leave here his wagons and baggage, and proceeding forward with pack-horses, carry such a convoy of provisions as was necessary for his own troops and necessary for the immediate wants of the garrison at Pittsburgh and the needy collected within the fort; for there were a few log houses then built between the fort and the river occupied by traders, and these all fled for pro- tection into the fort, and were under the care of the garrison. To all alike were the scanty supplies doled out.

Bouquet's gallant little band, dignified in history with the fame-sounding appellation of army, halted only for a day at Ligonier fort, and leaving there a strong guard, then struck out on the old Forbes road. It was the road Bouquet himself had helped to make. He knew the country with the knowledge of a thor- ough military man. The first night they encamped on the west side of the Loyalhanna. It was Bou- quet's intention to hasten past Turtle Creek by a forced march of thirty miles the next day, for to the east of Turtle Creek there was, between high banks and hills, a long defile extending some two miles, and this location was considered a dangerous one. In the early morning of August 5, 1763, the men were on the march. The weather was warm, and in the uncleared woods uncomfortably sultry and close, but yet by a little past noon they had marched seventeen miles, and come to within half a mile of Bushy Run, a tributary of Brush Creek, which itself flows into Turtle Creek. He had purposed to halt here to re- fresh his men till the heat of the day was exhausted, and possibly to evade the Indians by passing the defile before nightfall.

The Indians had left enough of their crew around the beleaguered fort, and without sensibly, or at least apparently, diminishing their number or their ef- fectiveness there, were laying a plan to surprise Bouquet, for on hearing of his march from Ligonier they broke up their camp at the river, and at the most favorable time, under the chieftainship of Kya- shuta, came out through the woods to annihilate the army of relief. The Mingoes knew the country well, and it was not unfavorable for ambush and their mode of warfare. The land is either hilly or rolling, and at that time was covered with rocks, thick bushes, and forest-trees. A number of the early inhabitants willingly offered their services to Bouquet at Bedford and at Ligonier. Among the advance as pioneers were Andrew Byerly and some of his neighbors, who volunteered to lead the army. The battle which fol- lowed, called the battle of Bushy Run, was fought near Byerly's Station.1

At about one o'clock in the afternoon, when the small army was nearing Bushy Run, where they pur-

posed to slake their thirst and refresh themselves after their tiresome march, the advance, among whom were Byerly and the volunteer scouts, were suddenly fired upon. They were speedily supported by fresh troops, and the Indians scattered. Such, however, was the preconcerted plan of battle, for as soon as the pursuit was ended they returned, and suddenly all along the line they rose up like the grass from their ambush along the sides of the hills. The regular soldiery, unused and all as they were to this kind of warfare, under their skillful commander bravely stood their ground. They resisted every attack of the enemy. Finding their convoy in danger, it being in the rear, they withdrew in order until they had it surrounded. Seeing that firing did not have the desired effect upon the Indians, they were ordered to charge with the bayonet. They did, and the savages fled, for they were never known to withstand this onset from regu- lar troops. But the dispersing them was not victory, for they returned to the fight with persistence. Nor could they by any known method be dislodged or scat- tered. In this manner the little army withstood the repeated attacks of the emboldened and insolent enemy till night.

Night fell upon the brave band of foreign soldiers in the wilderness, who that long summer afternoon, without rest or refreshment, had been fighting. Worse than all did they suffer from thirst, as there was no stream near and they could not leave their convoy ; besides, they were surrounded completely, and entirely cut off from the stream ahead. The night was longer than the day; when the day at last dawned it was only to renew, for them, the battle. Seeing that it must soon terminate some way, Bouquet planned and executed a stratagem.

The army still kept the position they had occu- pied during the night, close to their convoy. A few companies lay along the road. The convoy, being upon a rise of ground, was protected by the grenadiers and infantry, the horses, teamsters, and baggage being in the midst. In the advance along the road were two companies of grenadiers. Bouquet wanted to leave the impression with the Indians that he was about to begin a retreat. In pursuance of this ap- parent intention, he ordered the two companies to fall within the circle along the road, and also in reality to pass through between them and take up a position on the road in his rear, where they were hidden from view. They accordingly did so, and the lines opened to receive and then closed upon them. The Indians poured out upon the convoy and prowled through the wood to intercept those on the retreat. At the same time Bouquet ordered out two companies, one of grenadiers and one of light infantry, to lie in wait on the ground which the grenadiers had left. These, un- observed, took up their position. Then the circle around the convoy began to contract, as if indeed the retreat had actually begun. 0 treating companies were also In the road of the re- yo companies of light

1 Bee note to Penn township, in which the battle of Bushy Run was fought.

Digitized by

Google

HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

infantry to resist the expected attack there. These rising suddenly from their ambush poured volley after volley among the Indians, from which they suf- fered exceedingly. Panic-stricken themselves, they fled through the woods before the infantry, who fol- Jowed them with the bayonet, driving them right round towards the other grenadiers and infantry, who met them with their fresh fire, these being posted here to receive them when so driven round. Thus hemmed in between two concentrated and converging fires, the Indians suffered great Ina, and being panic- . struck beyond mensure they fled separately through the woods in all directions. Nor did they once re- cover. They left upon the field sixty dead, among whom were many reputed their bravest warriors. Many more were wounded so that they died.

The leader of the Indians in this engagement was said to be Kyashuta. He was chief sachem of the Senccas, and by the power of his command carried the Mingoes and all the Ohio tribes into the war. He made his name as famous almost as the name of his great compeer, Pontiac. Hewas a savage in every sense of the word. Turbulent and treacherous as he was, he was one of the last to make peace with the whites, and did so only when he was at their mercy. But fierce as he was when on the war-path and as he has been universally considered, yet there are some who have given high praise to his character. Washington, in 1770. when on a tour to the Ohio, stopped to pay his compliments to Kyashuta, and he states that he was trented by him with great kindness. He was one of the Indians who went with Washington to the French at Venango in 1753, before the French and Indian war.

At the time of this defeat the Mingoes had their headquarters at the old town of Logstown, on the Ohio, built for them by the French. After this battle they deserted this place.

Bouquet, collecting his worn-out soldiers, proceeded to Bushy Run, where he encamped. When the dan- ger had seemed the most imminent a number of teamsters hid themselves among the bushes and al- lowed some of the horses to escape. On this account part of the convoy had to be destroyed. With the rest Bouquet advanced to Fort Pitt, which he reached on the 9th of August, 1763.1

1 Henry Bouquet, who made his name famous in American colonin! history, and who has had a post-office in Westmoreland County called for him, thus deserviug at our hands sume notice, was born at Rulle, in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, shout 1719. At the age of seventeen he Was received an a cuilet in the regiment of Constance, and thence passed into the service of the King of Sardinia, in whose wars he distinguished himself as a lieutenant, and afterwards as adjutant. In 1748 he entered the Swiss Guinls as lieutenant-colonel. When the war broke out in 1754 between England and France he was solicited by the English to serve in America. Ilis ability soon got him in great confidonce in Vir- ginin am Pennsylvania, and he was employed in various services. He first distinguished himself under Forbes, and was one of his chief ad- visers. He readily fell into the provincial mode of fighting the Indians, which says more for his military genius than Iris former services would express. At the time of Pontiac's war, as we have seen at length, he was ordered by Gen. Amherst to relieve the western garrison", which he

CHAPTER VII. SETTLEMENT FROM 1760 TO 1760.

Mismolereloud Brandaries of the Treaty of 1784 (Alkany)-Purchase of 1758 and Riamilaria thereunder-Brill.h Oloures giro Formato to Bet- Here after Furbo' Campaign-Frames Iranla will and give Title to Set- there, but pacers Late to keep butllere.if this Territory- Virginia la- drom Sollers to migrate hitler and brate- The Boundary Line between Pennsylvania and Virginis not dranitely known Better come Into the Country after Puntier's war (1764)-They lomate at Red- slune, on the ranchlopheny, at the Furto of that River, and about Pittsburgh, Liquator, and along the Great Boule-Xoom and Bijzon's Lue run-I'ruclamation of the Governor of Pramerivanis warning these Battlera ull-Rev. John Strele cout to them to explain the Law and request them to remove- They refuse to romero-The " New Furchner," under Treaty of Furt Stanwix, of 1700-List of the Bartleet Settlements made in Western Penney Ivanin to this date (1768)-Clam- oring of Emigrants and Now Settlers to have Lands granted them by the Province-Special Land Tillne-Penn's Manorial Reservations- The Divesting Act-Preliminaries to the opening of the Land Of .. -Public Notice of the opening given-Land Ofice opened for Appli- cations iu the New Purchase, April 3, 1700.

WE shall here give some account of the settlements of this region from the time of the occupancy of Fort Duquesne by Forbes in 1759 to the opening of the land office in 1769, a date to be always remembered in the history of the Westmoreland settlements. We shall also give a summary of the rules and regula- tions by which the land office was guided, and try to get an understanding of the relation between it and the people. It is a subject frequently to be re- curred to, for within this period there is such a con- flict of law and disobedience, of justice and injustice, of singular friendships and of singular enmities among the settlers and the natives, of misunderstood boundaries and of violated treaties.

The intervening period between these two dates is the date of Pontiac's war (1763). The settlements of this region may be aptly compared to the encroach- ment of the flow tide upon the beach. Waves of people were borne outward, and then from causes to be explained were driven back, only to be again driven outward with increased and accelerated force and body. From the close of this memorable war, of short duration it is true, but filled with barbarities untold, there was a cessation, and the country was left to comparative peace until the breaking out of Dunmore's war before the Revolution (1774). During this time immigration to the west of the Allegheny

did no snccemfully with mich inefficient means. No soldier of foreign birth was to distinguishod or no successful in Indian warfare as he was. The next year after this battle, that was in 1764, he was pinced at the head of a force of Pennsylvania and Virginin volunteers, which he had organized at Fort London, Pa., with which he penetrated in a "line of battle" from Fort Pitt into the Indian country along the Muskingum. The envages, baffled and unsuccessful in all their attempts nt surprise and ambush, aned for ponce, and the "Treaty of Bouquet," made then and there, is as notorious in Ohio as the " Battle of Bouquet" is in Penn- sylvania. The Assembly of Pennsylvania and the Burgesses of Virginia adopted address's of gratitude, tendered him their thanks, and recom- meudel him for promotion in Ilis Majesty's service. Immediately after the peace with the Indians was concluded, the king made him brigadier- general and commandant in the Sonthern colonies of British America. He lived not long to enjoy his honors, for he died at Penescola, 1767, "lamented by his friends, and regrettod universally."

Digitized by Google

SETTLEMENT FROM 1759 TO 1769.

Mountains commenced and continued. Settlements were then started in places and localities which were permanently held. By Bouquet's treaty of 1764 the Indians granted the whites the privilege of erecting forts and trading-houses wherever they pleased. and of traveling the road from sunrising till sunsetting.1 Had there been no opposition but that offered by the natives, Western Pennsylvania would have been soon settled ; but from circumstances peculiar to this colony the settlements here were delayed and retarded.

We have stated that the authorities of our Province did not allow any one to settle on lands not purchased from the Indians. But it will be remembered that by the treaty of Albany in 1754 all lands lying west of the Susquehanna, and as far in extent as the limits of the Province, were said to have been so purchased. This treaty driving the Indians to take part with the French, as was terribly witnessed by Braddock's de- feat and the aggressive war following, compelled Gov- ernor Morris in the next year, 1755, to issue his proc- lamation in which he distinctly asserted that this fraud was apparent to the whole world, and the de- mand so exorbitant that by it the natives had not a country left to subsist in.' Perhaps the authorities were, as was subsequently given out, as poorly in- formed as to where the limits extended as the Indians were in comprehending the points of the compass ; for it was afterwards found that the boundaries did not by any means extend so far as the actual limits of the Province. But the Indians the more loudly complained of this injustice. Many conferences were held about the region of the Ohio, among which may be noted those of Weiser's, Post's, and Crogan's, a familiarity with the details of which may be acquired from any narrative covering this era and bearing on this section. These all were preliminary, and finally led to the treaty of Easton, October, 1758, which was consummated after the successful expedition of Forbes in capturing Fort Duquesne. In this treaty of 1758 the authorities of the Province surrendered to the Indian Six Nations and their allies all to the north- ward and westward of the Allegheny Mountains, and finally and indubitably secured all the remainder eastward to the proprietaries.

In the southern part of the State, east of West- moreland, the purchase of 1758 would have had for its western boundary the line between Somerset and Bedford, Cambria and Blair Counties.

Pennsylvania could thus not claim any of the terri- tory west of that line' for the purpose of giving lands to her inhabitants, because to have done so would have been in violation of her good faith and of her prior treaties with the natives.

Beyond the franchise of the proprietaries, however, were the reserved privileges of the crown. The king of England, as lord paramount, sent his soldiers through both Virginia and Pennsylvania, as he had a right to do, opened up his military roads and his highways, established his military posts, and kept up his garrisons. From the time of Forbes till after the treaty of 1768 there were British officers and a garrison at Fort Pitt. At Ligonier there was sometimes a regular British officer and sometimes a subaltern in the service of the Province, but who was specially empowered by delegated authority from the officer in his military department over him to grant under cer- tain restrictions permits to occupy parcels of land, as the commandant at Fort Pitt could.

The successful termination of the French and Indian war in 1759 and 1760 gave to England the possession of Canada, as well as the great West. Hence were the fortifications and military posts which had been erected by the French turned over to and occupied by the British. To have ready access to and communi- cation with these posts and from one to the other was a necessity. In encouraging all efforts of the royal deputies in that direction, no one of the old colonies was more ready and active than was Virginia." Many of her grants had been made before the time of Braddock, and she was now as sedulous as ever in protecting them.

Among those which were regarded as the necessary and special privileges of these royal commandants was that one to which we have alluded, of granting to set- tlers permission to occupy, settle upon, and cultivate lands, which might be retained afterwards by a com- pliance with the regulations of the Penns, whose ulti- mate right in the land was never questioned. The object manifestly was to encourage settlers near the garrisons, whose labor was necessary for the produc- tion of necessaries for the use and preservation of the garrison. Soldiers who were married and stationed at these posts kept their families with them. Permits were granted also to certain settlers along the old roads, and at stations on the rivers, where they were of advantage to the military authorities or subserved a useful and needed purpose. As a very wide margin circumscribed the discretion of these officers, it will be readily inferred that these permits were granted for many reasons. 5

1 After Bonqnet's victory the Indian warriors retreatel into the wil- derness of Ohio, and did not regard themselves as safe till they stopped at the Muskingum. But Bouquet with new forces pursued them thither, and at the memorab'e treaty of 1764, on the Muskingum, exacted auch terms and restricted those fuclined to war to such limits that it has been regarded as the most efficacious of all treaties forced from them at the point of the bayonet .- Craig's " Ollen Time."

" At the treaty of Allmany, in 1754, the delegates from Pennsylvania secured, as was alleged, irregularly, a great portion of the land to which the title of the Indians was not extinguished, by which many tribes found the ground which had been socured to them by treaties with the Six Nations wold from under their feet. This had been guaranteed to them on their removal thither.

" See line marking western limits of the purchase of 1749, and pur- chase of 17:36 and prior, on maps of various purchases.

In 1755, by the books of the Secretary of Virginia, three millions had been granted west of the mountains to her settlers. In 1758 that colony endeavored to encourage by law settlements in the Indian country. 5 In 1765 the second town of Pittsburgh was laid out by permission of the cominanding officer at Fort Pitt.

The following is a copy of a permit ranted by Arthur St. Clair to

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 9

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: