History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical, Part 5

Author: Egle, William Henry, 1830-1901
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1046

USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 5
USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 5

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).

" Aud I do also intend that every one who shall be a Purchaser in this propo-ed settlement, shall have a proportionable Lot in the sail City to build a House or Honse- upon; which Town-Groutal, and the shares of Land that shall be bought of me, shall be delivered clear of all Indian Pretentions; for it has been my way from the first, to purchase their title from them, and so settle with their consent.

" The Shares I dispose of, contain each, Three Thousand Acres for £100, and for greater or besser quantities after that rate: The acre of that Province is according to the statute of the 23d of Edw. I. And no acknowledgement or Quit Kent shall be paid by the l'urchasers till five year- after a settlement Le ninde upon their Lanus, and that only according to the quantity f acres so taken up and spated, and tot otherwise; and only then to gay but one shilling for every hundre lacres for ever. And further I do promise to agree with every Purchaser that shall be willing to treat with me between this and next spring, upon all such reasonable conditions as shall be thought necessary for the rac- compilation, intending, if God please. to return with what speed I can, and my family with me, in order to our future Residence.

" To conclude, that which particularly recomturmis this Settlement, is the known goodness of the soy! and acituation of the Laol, which is high and not mountainous: also the Pleasantness, and Large- ness of the River being clear and not rapol, and broader than the Thames ht London bridge, many miles above the Place intended for this Settlement; and runs ,As we are told by the Indians! quite through the Province, into which many fair rivers empty themselves. The sorts of Timber thar grow there are chiefly onk, ash, chesnut, wilgut, cedar, and poplar. The native Fru'ts are papaws, grapes, mulberry's, chesunts, and several surts of walnuts. There are likewise great quantities of Deer, And especially Elks, which are much bigger than our Red Deer, and nse that River in Ilerde. And Fish there is of divers arts. ati I very large and good, and in great plenty.

" But that which recommends both this Settlebient in particular, and the Province in general, is a late l'atient obtained by divers Ennnett Lords and Gentlemen for that Land that lies north of Peutsylvania up to the toth Degree ind an halt, because their Traffick and Intercontsy will be ch eny through Peutsylvania, which lies between that Province and the sea. We have also the comfort of being the Center of all the English colonies upon the L'ontinent of America, as they he from the North East parts of New England to the Dust Southerle parts of Care- lina, being above 1.000 miles upon the Coast.

" If any Persons please to apply themselves to mia by letter iu relation to this affair, they may direct them to Robert Ness, Scrivener in Lumter 8'reet in London for Philip Fad, and suitable answers will f- returne.] by the firat opportunity. There are also Instructions printed for infor- mation of such as intend to go, or seuil servant-, or families thither, which way they play proceed with must ease and advantage, Inth here and there, in reference to l'assage, Goods, Utensile, Building, Huslandry, Stock, Submitence, Tradiva, Nc. Leing the elect of the r expeace and experiance that have seen the Fruit of their Labour-

"4 War. PENN."

Diteli, 1690," and freely distributed in England, and possibly on the Continent, although " foreigners" were not desired for the towns; they were needed to till the soil, while the peaceful Quaker was the mer- chant aud dealer.

As remarked before, the Indian trade prior to 1700 was in the hands of French traders, who seemed to have found their way from Canada to the valley of the Susquehanna. The Bezalions. Michael and Peter, Chartier, Letort, and others were the principal per- sonages in this dangerous enterprise, which was hardly sufficiently lucrative.

I-aac Taylor, who for many years was a surveyor in the county of Chester, made a rough " draught of the Susquehanna River in 1701," and evidently had accompanied some Indian trader on one of his expe- ditions, and thus we have preserved to us the follow- ing exceedingly interesting sketch :

UMDE

MI Indien Journa

Stare

D River

sequesa 2055

101

Sivotrero

Indians T. 1 1X S E's. Store

Chemiaty

Drought of His Susquelaunch River in AZol.

By reference thereto it will be seen that Shawanese Indian villages were at or near Paxtang, on Duncan's and Clemson's island-, above the mouth of the Ju- niata, at now Sunbury, and on "John Penn's" Creek and the Juniata. The stream> on the east side of the river are the Suataro Swatara) and the Quatoocha- toon ; whether the latter is the Wiconisco or Mahan- tango, it is difficult to determine.

Governor Evans upon one of his expeditions into the country seems to have been informed at Pequo- han of some irregularities of one of the French traders at Paxtang, and in company with John French. Wil- liam Tonge, Michael Bezalion, a Mr. Gray, and four servants, visited this locality. We give his journal

The foregoing was " printed and sokl by Andrew Sowle, at the crooked Eliler in Halloway Lane, Shore . of this visit :

GENERAL HISTORY.

"On Tuesday, the 1st July, 1707, we went to Conestoga, And lay there that night, and the next morning proceeded on our journey, and nt- rived in the evening within three miles of an lilian village called Peixtin. The Governor had received information at Paquehan that one Nicole, a French Indian trader, was at that place, against whom great complaints had been made to the Governor, of which he acquainted the chief Indian at Prixtan, as also of his design to seize him, y ho willingly agreed to it. but advised the Governor to be very cautious in the man- ner, there being only young people at home, who perhaps might make some resistance if it were done withont their being told of it. For this reason we lay short of the village that night, but early in the morning we went within a half-title of the town, and, leaving our horses, marched afoot near the same, from whence the Governor sont Martine to the vil- lage, ordering lui to tell Nicole that he had brought two kets of rune with him, which he had left in the wools for frar any Christians were there ; and withal to persuade Nicole to go with him and taste the rum. Martine returned with James Letert and Joseph Jessop, two Indian traders, lut could not prevail with Niente; upon which Chartine wis sent back with orders to bring down some Iswars, and Nicole with them. Then we drew neater to town and land omselve, in the la stes ; and Martine returned with two Indian, whom the Governor acquainted with his intention of taking Nicole, telling at the sithe time that he had spoken with the uncle of one of them upon that head, who ordered the Indians to submit to the Governor's commands, with which they were contented, though we perceived too well the contrary to their in- quiring how many we were, and how aimed, and the concern they seemed to be in when they found we were in more number than they. Dut still Nie le was wanting. It was therefore resulvel to try once more if he could be got into the woods. Accordingly, Martine went again to the place, and brought Nicole where we lay conceale i, and ask- ing him to drink a dram, he seized him; but Nicole started from hun aud ran for it, when immediately we started out and took him, and pres- ently carried him to the village Prixtom' through which we were obliged to pass; and there we foon 1 some Indians with guys in their hands, who looked touch displeased at what we had done, but bring in readiness against any surprise, they thought it not ht to attempt any- thing. Here we stand about half an hour, and then started for Turpy - hocken [Tulpelweken], having monuted Nicole on a here and tied his legs under the belly ; we got within a mile of Turpshocken about two of the clock. On Friday morning atout seven the flowernor went to the town; from thence we went to Manatawney that night, and the next day to Philadelphia."

CHAPTER III.

John Harris, the First White Settler-The Assessment List of 1718- Prices of Land, aud Carly Warrantees for Paxtang, Derry, Hanover, Londonderry, and Upper Paxtang Townships.

THE first English trader we hear of within the limits of the county was John Harris. The fears of the It was during one of his expeditions that Harris French, who were constantly gaining ground in the . first beheld the beauty and advantages of the location northwestern part of the Province, and especially of " Papists," which all at once seems to have filled our Quaker friends with terror, it made it absolutely ne- cessary to licen-e only English traders, and they of Protestant proclivities, so as to prevent communica- tion with the French on the Ohio. Among the first was John Harri-, who perchance entered this then Incrative field, the Indian trade, at the suggestion of his most intimate friend, Edward Shippen, Provincial Secretary.

Of the John Harris who thus located permanently : dream of the founder of Pennsylvania, the great and at Harrisburg, and who gave name to that city, it may not be inappropriate to refer. "He was as honest a man as ever broke bread," was the high eulogium pronounced by D'arson Elder, of blessed memory, as he spoke of the pioneer in after-years. Born in the

county of Yorkshire, England, although of Welsh descent, about the year 1673, he was brought up in the trade of his father, that of a brewer. Leaving his home on reaching his majority. he worked at his calling some time in the city of London, where he joined, a few years afterwards, a company from his native district, who emigrated to Pennsylvania two or three years prior to Penn's second visit to his Prov- ince. Watson states that John Harris' " entire capi- tal amounted to only sixteen guinea -. "

We first hear of him after his arrival in Philadel- phia as a contractor for clearing and grading the streets of that ancient village. In 1698 his name is appended to a remonstrance to the Provincial Aren- bly against the passage of an aet disallowing the franchise to all persons owning real estate les- in

value than fifty pounds. The memorial had it- effect, and the objectionable law was repealed. By letters of introduction to Edward Shippen, the first mayor of Philadelphia, that distinguished gentleman became his steadfast friend, and through his influence, no doubt, were secured those favors which induced bim eventually to become the first permanent settler in this locality.

In January, 1705, John Harris received his license from the commissioners of property, authorizing and allowing him to " seat himself on the Sasquabannah," and " to erect such building, as are necessary for his trade, and to enclose and improve such quantities of land as he shall think fit." At once he set abont building a log house near the Ganawere (Conoy ) et- tlement, but the Indians made complaint to the gov- ernment that it made them "uneasie," de-iring to know if they encouraged it. As in numerous in- stances when the provincial authorities were taken to task, they disavowed their own acts. Nevertheless, the "trader" continued bis avocation, making fre- quent visits to the Shawanese villages at the Cone- wago and Swatara. It is doubtful if John Harris came farther west until after the permanent removal of all the French traders.

at Paxtang. It was the best fording-place on the Susquehanna, and then, as now in these later days, on the great highway between the North and South, the East and the West. Annually the chiet's of the Five Nations went to the Carolinas, where were located their vast hunting-grounds, and these, return- ing with peltries, found need of a trading-post. The eye of that hardy pioneer, looking out over the vast expanse of wood, and plain, and river, saw and knew that it was the place for the realization of that fond 1

' good Penn, "a city on the Susquehanna." At the period referred to, the lands lying between the Cone- wago or Lechay Hills and the Kittoch'inny or Blue Mountains had not been purchased from the Indians. Of course neither John Harris nor the Scotch-Irish

HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.

settlers could locate except by the right of squatter to whatever they wanted of his stores, they daneed sovereignty or as licensed traders. As a trader, it around the unhappy captive, who no doubt thought his death was nigh. could only be with the permission of the Indians.

Harris' first move was the erection of a store-house, which he surroundel by a stockade. It was located on the lower bank of the river, at about what is now the foot of Paxtang street. A well dng by him still exists, although covered over about twenty-five years ago, the old pump stock having become useless and the platform dangerous. A mound or hillock about one hundred feet southeast of the graveyard denotes the spot. " For almost a century," in the language of the late Da: id Harri-, " this well supplied a large neighborhood with water, which was exceedingly cool and pleasant to the taste." Adjoining his cabin were sleds for the housing of peltries obtained by traffic, which at stated periods were conveyed to Philadelphia on pack-horses.

Some year- prior to 1718 an incident took place in the life of John Harris which has received all sorts of version-, and even doubt- of its truthfulness. We shall give it a- we believe it, and as traditionary and other facts in our possession supply the material therefor. All the French traders having " gone over Sasquahannah," John Harris monopolized the busi- nes- at Paxtang. In glancing over the records of the Province of Pennsylvania, frequent allu-ion, are made to the excursions of the northern Indians, . either to hunting-ground- in the South or to a conflict with a deadly foe. At one time the Onondagoe-, on a predatory excursion against the Talapoosas, in Vir- ginia, descending the Susquehanna, left their canoes at Harri-', proceeding thence to the scene of strife. Situated as he was, at the best ford on the river, he commanded an extensive trade. His Indian neigh- bors (Shawanese) were very friendly, and of course would not allow any trange or predatory bands to molest him. The deadly foe of the red race i- rum, and although the -elling of it was expressly forbidden by the provincial authorities, yet there was scarcely a treaty or conference withent this portion being a part of the presents made by the refined white man to his ignorant red brother. Of a consequence liquor was sold, and we are told by Conrad Wei-er that ou one occasion " on the Sasquahannah, " the Indians whom he was conducting to Philadelphia became so drunk that he was fearful of them and lett them. At the period first referred to, it -remis a predatory band of Indians, on returning from the Carolinas, or the " Patowmack," naturally halted at John Harris'. In exchanging part of their goods, probably rum-for this seems to have been the principal beverage drunk at that period - was one of the articles in barter. At least we have it by tradition that the Indians became rioton- in their drunken revelry, and demanding more rum, were re- fused by Mr. Harris, who began to fear harm from his visitors. Not to be denied, they again demanded liquor, and seizing Lim. they took him to a tree near by, binding him thereto. After helping themselves

Prior to this the Indian village of Paxtang had been deserted, and the inhabitants removed to the west side of the Susquehanna. On the bluff opposite John Harris', as also at the mouth of the Yellow Breeches, there were lodges of Shawanese, and these held our Indian trader in high esteem. Information was taken them by Mr. Harris' negro servant, when at once were summoned the warriors, who crowed the river, where, after a slight struggle with the drunken Indians. they rescued from a death of torture their white friend.

Although no mention of these facts is made in the provincial records, there may possibly have been good reason therefor, and it is well known that many inci- dents, well authenticated in later years, have not been noted in the documents referred to. By tradition and private sources alone are they preserved from oblivion. It was no myth, this attempt to burn John Harris, and although the pen and pencil have joined in making therefrom a romance and heightened it with many a gaudy coloring, yet accurate resources have furnished us with the details here given.

The remains of this tree, which in the memory of the oldest inhabitant bore fruit, stands within the in- closure at Harris Park, a striking memento of that thrilling mneident. The late George W. Harris fur- nished the author with certain corrobatory traditional evidence, which is herewith given. That it did occur was not only traditional in the Harri- family but in others. The writer's grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth ( Thomas Egle, tarried when a child of fifteen at John Harris, her father then being on his way from Philadelphia to his home at his mill on the Yellow Breeches. John Harris, the founder, in the course of conversation with her father alluded to the mulberry - tree and the rude inclosure of the graves at its foot. and distinctly remembered then hearing the story in detail which we have given.

Robert Harris, a grand-on of the Indian trader, stated it as a jaet in which he believed. According to a memorandum, made in his lifetime, he stated that a band of Indians came to the house of his grand- father and demanded rum. He saw that they were intoxicated, and he feared mischief if he gave them more rum. They became enraged and tied him to the tree for burning. The alarm was given, and In- dians from the opposite side of the river came and, after a struggle, released him.

Esther, a daughter of the first John Harris, loft three daughters : Elizabeth, married to Samuel Mac- lay ; Isabella, married to William Bell, of New York ; and Margaret, married to I-sae Richardson, of Penn- sylvania, and then or subsequentis living in York County. All of these granddaughter- made state- ments in relation to the occurrence in question.

In the year 1×40, G. W. Harris had a conversation! with Mrs. Bell on this subject. She stated that she

GENERAL HISTORY.

was born in 1760. That in 1766 she was coming from Carlisle, where she lived, to Harrisburg with her father and some of her sisters. When they came to the river opposite to Harrisburg, where William Harris was then living, some of the children pointed to an old man fishing in the river, and they mentioned that he had saved the life of his master, John Harris, from the Indians. She said that she understood it to be when he was tiel to the mulberry-tree.

Robert Maclay, of Ki-hacoquillas Valley, Mithin County, wrote some years ago a statement as to this matter, from information obtained from his mother and her sisters, Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Richardson. Hisstate- ment is to the effect that a party of Indians came to trade, and after obtaining what Mr. Harris had given to them, or traded for, they demanded rum, which he refused. They then determined to burn him, and bound him with hickory withes to a mulberry-tree on the bank of the river, and commenced gathering and piling wood around him. While they were gather- ing wood his negro man Hercales slipped off and in- formed friendly Indians on the opposite side of the river, who at once came in sufficient force to rescue and save his master. He added, as the statement of these ladies, that Mr. Harris set Hereules free, and that afterwards he directed that he should be buried under the mulberry-tree. Hercules died a consider- able time after the death of John Harris, and is buried there.

Mr. Maclay also furnished a statement, which he had heard from his mother, to the effect that some friends endeavored to disuade the old gentleman, Mr. Harris, from his determination to be buried under the mulberry-tree, alleging that the river-bank was being washed away and the grave might be exposed and perhaps washed away, and that he ought to be buried in the Paxtang church graveyard, but that he sileneed all argument by saying that if you bury me out in Paxtang, I'll get up and come back. One of his daughters, Mrs. Elizabeth Finley. is also buried under the mulberry-tree.

Here, then, is the statement of Robert Harris, a grandson of John Harris, and of three of his grand- daughter, to the alleged occurrence at the mulberry- tree. and Mr. Harris adds that Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Richardson were known to him, and were persons of superior intellect.

Robert Maclay also mentionedl an ineident, as de- rived from the same source, that an Indian, in a dis- tressed condition, on a euld night, came to the liouse of John Harris and sought admission. He was re- ceived, and lay by the fire during the night. When the Indian- came to the relief of John Harris it is said that this Indian was with them.

As to whether the alarm was given by Hercules, in a conversation with Robert Harris, about the year 1440, in which he said that the alarm on the occasion in question was not given by Herenles, but in some other way, how he did not know ; but that Hercules

had saved the life of his master ou another occasion, I think he said when he wa- endangered from a steer in a flat on the river. But Mr. Samuel Breck, of Philadelphia, previous to October, 1927, wrote an ac- count relative to Harrisburg, in which, in reference to this alleged occurrence at the mulberry-tree, he states that the Indian- who came to the relief of John Harris were led by Hercules, and he adds that the narrative was submitted in substance to the inspec- tion of Mr. Robert Harris, and declared by him to be correct.

When the picture representing that scene ' in posses- sion of the State of Pennsylvania, was painted by Reeder, who was in communication with Robert Har- ri-, the latter, it would seem, was of opinion that the alarm was not given by Hercules, and Hercules did not appear in it. Hi- attention may not have been directed especially to the statement relative to Her- cules in the narrative of Mr. Breck, or his subsequent recollection may have been at fault. The burden of evidenee seems to be that the alarm was given by Hercules, and if it were he is entitled to representa- tion in the picture.

We have been thus explicit because the incident has been stated a- untrue, and hence have given such traditionary evidence as it has been possible to obtain.

Following the advent of the trader, a> emigration to Pennsylvania increased, pressed towards the banks of the Susquehanna the early pioneer. The first assessment-list for what was subsequently Lancaster County is that of the township of "Conestogoe," Ches- ter County, for the year fils. This was the name of the outlying town-hip of the latter county, which, in 1722, we find to be divided into East and West Cones- togoe townships, and from the latter, in 1725, the township of Donegal. As many of the names in the organization of townships and counties belonged eventually to the county of Dauphin, we give the list entire, and the names as in the original. At the period notell the number of " residents taxable" was one hundred and twenty-nine, and the amount of tas levied $40 108. 13d.

CONESTOGOE RATE-1719.

English Inhabitants. Tax. ". d.

English Inhabitants.

Tax.

Francis Warley.

Andrew Mason

Joseph Hekmat ..

Jime- Hendneks

Dadel Conkaut

The mas Clark

Jones Patterson

Themen Id Will

R. - it Will +ton

R: Fort Wilkin-

Will. n: Hugh .s

Pocer Heath in 10

Thoulas Je Les

J seph los

HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.

CONESTOGOE BATF -- 1718.

Dutch Inhabitants.

Tux.

Dutch Inhabitants.

Tax.

s. d.

Martin Kundig

Henry Berr. .....

Muth Milin ...

Michael Bawal ........

Christian Heer

Hat e Ba_holder.

John IL.pr ..

Hace Nemmer.

WeHall Bowman.

f Melchior Pr paman

Jacob Miller

3 Gange hendrich

John Natta, jitil.

Daniel Iuimer.

0 Michael Shank. jun

JJ. un Funk

- .

Henry Hayar

Hance Henty Neff

Poter Cellar

Mich.r. l Miller ...

Benedatos Ventich

Flein Latills.

4 Jacob Kungrik, Jun

Philip Fhe. e.

Chatley Chi stupder

IsHar Infive Richard Davis

stoflal Prenaman

Thoma. Ffalkner

Jacob Hoaber .....

]

John Milen

3 Chistian Stone

Ifan- Hanre.

I-aar Fireeurk & son.

Matin Berr.

Imanuel llert

Hance Boyel.

Jacob Mover

John Bomnan

Hins =1;0

Benedictus Brachii!l.

6 Christian Thanh

Jawoh Hiebstetter

John Shank

John Wihurr.

Rindey Jlover.

Andrew K. Aman

U Hans Brand .

John Broakfather, jun ..

Hans Hinatt. seu

Jan Brak Father

Peter Yu te

Jwob Broakpather.

Yorey Lhes.

Peter awHor

2 Il ins turrick Mujer

Abraham Heer

Christian Shalls.

Melchior Arisman

Hans Wearer

Christian Hearse & Sun.

0 Woolrick Huntee

John Tonp.

6 Peter Lam.in.

were no fixed prices. The terms agreed upon appear to have been regulated by cash payments, and the annual quit-rents to be afterwards paid. As early as 1664, all warrants were conditional, containing a clause that the land should be improved within a specified time or the warrant to be void. The time varied from six months to a year, and in a few ca-es to two or more years ; and which continued until after 1780, and this may partially account that the urgent request made by old and confidential officers for the establishing an uniform price was constantly rejected.

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History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical, Part 5

Author: Egle, William Henry, 1830-1901 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1046

Author: Egle, William Henry, 1830-1901
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1046