USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Lancaster county Indians: annals of the Susquehannocks and other Indian tribes of the Susquehanna territory from about the year 1500 to 1763, the date of their extinction > Part 10
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1671-Map of Pennsylvania and the Susquehannocks at This Date.
In the History Building at the Ex- position under date of 1671 there was a map of southeastern Pennsylvania including Chesapeake bay and Sus- quehanna river, and on it Smith's Falls are marked about ten miles from the mouth of the river; and next above it on the east side a short distance above the mouth of Conestoga creek "Susquehannough" town, and on the west the town of Attock; and about fifty miles up the river the town marked "Minquas," and 200 miles farther the Senecas. 1671 - The Susquehannock Boys Fight and Defeat a Party of Cayugas.
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In Vol. 56, Jesuit Relations, p. 57, this account is given: "On Ascension Day this year twenty Tsonnontouans (Senecas) and forty of the haughtiest of the Cayuga young men set out from this (Cayuga) village to go and strike a blow in the fields of the An- dastogue (Susquehannocks), 4 days' journey from hence. They were attack- ed by sixty Andastogue (Susquehan- nock) boys, 15 or 16 years old, and put to flight with the loss of two of their number. These young victors, learning that the band had gone by canoe, promptly took canoes and
pursued them with such speed that they overtook and routed them, eight of our men being killed in their canoes, while 15 er 16 returned bad- ly wounded by arrows and knives or half killed by hachet strokes. The battle field remained in possession of the Andastogue (Susquehannock) boys with a loss, it is said, of 15 or 16 of them. God preserves the Andastogue (Susquehannocks), who count but 300 warriors; and favors their arms in order to humble the Iroquois and maintain the peace of our mission." A similar account of this is also found in "Relations de la Neuville France" for the year 1672, p. 24, a French work which account says that the forty Cayugas went by water and the twenty Senecas by land to attack the Susquehannocks; and that the oldest of the sixty Susquehannock boys who met and defeated them was not over sixteen years.
This interesting note throws much light upon the warlike nature of the Susquehannocks, and shows how early their boys were proficient with all the weapons of war. The first attack must have occurred in Manor township, and the second attack on the river itself in canoes perhaps near Harrisburg. There can be no doubt of who won the victory, be- cause the Jesuit Fathers believed in the prowess of the Iroquois tribes. An interesting fact is that the Sus- quehannock men were not about their grounds. They were likely off fighting the Iroquois in the general war.
1671-A Tax to Furnish the Susque- hannocks Powder.
In Vol. 2, Maryland Archives, p. 339, it is stated that, "Five Thousand pounds of tobacco be levied for the purpose of furnishing and providing powder for the use of the Susquehan- I nocks for their defense.
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All these items show that at this time the Marylanders and the Sus- quehannocks were firm friends, and were mutually interested in resisting the Senecas. How sadly the situation changed in three years we shall soon see.
1672-The Iroquois Try to Gain Al- lies to Help Fight Susquehannocks.
In Vol. 57, Jesuit Relations, pp. 23 and 25, it is stated from a letter from Father Brugas to the Governor from the largest Mohawk village that "The Seneca Iroquois have brought twenty peace presents to the savages of that neighborhood. The Iroquois obey the Governor as their common father and they say they have only gifts of peace. There is no doubt that they are only using the bait either for the sake of their commerce at the solici- tation of the Dutch or to beguile the Ottawas into a renewal of war if they succeed with the Susquehannocks, who are the only enemy that the Iro- quois now have on hand." Thus it is evident the Iroquois-Susquehan- nock war was still going on as this account says it was.
1672-Three Susquehannocks Captur- ed in War and Burned to Death.
From Vol. 58, Jesuit Relations, p. 227, it is stated: "Three Andastae (Susquehannocks) were captured in war. The Jesuit Father instructed them before they were burned. Sev- eral from the same country escaped after some months of captivity; and they told of the great charity that those who wore the black gowns had for them as well as for the Iroquois and for all the people." The great Iroquois-Susquehannock war is now nearing its close, having been waged since about 1652. Three years more will see the Susquehannocks entire- ly defeated and driven to their new home on the Potomac, more than a hundred miles from their old one on
Susquehanna river. What we have al- ready written shows the amount of cruelty, butchery, slaughter and hor- rid retaliation which characterized the warfare of these savages, a great deal of which occurred right here in what is now our county.
1672-More Susquchannocks Tortured -Cruelty of Indian Torture.
The Jesuit Fathers tell us, "Two Andastogues (Susquehannocks) were captured by the Iroquois. They re- ceived baptism immediately before the red hot irons were applied to them. One of them who was burned during the night in the cabin from his feet to his knees prayed again to God with me on the following day while tied to the stake. The patience of these poor victims is admirable; but one cannot contemplate without a feeling of horror the sight of their roasting flesh and of men who de- vour it like famished dogs. One day when I was passing near the spot where the body of one of these roast- ed victims was being cut to pieces I could not help drawing near and in- veighing against such brutality. I saw one of these cannibals who asked for knife wherewith to cut off an arm. I opposed him and threatened him that God would punish him. He re- lated as his reason for doing so that he was invited to a feast commanded by a dream at which they were to eat nothing but human flesh to be brought by those who wanted to eat it. Two days afterwards God per- mitted that his wife should fall into the hands of the Andastogue (Sus- quehannocks) who revenged them- selves upon her person for the cruel- ty of her husband. See Vol. 57, Jes. Rel. pp. 169 and 171.
1672-Iroquois Fear a Susquehannock Invasion and Invoke Their Jugglers.
One of the Jesuit Fathers gives us this relation: "I had the affliction to
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see a noted juggler die in his in- | is told though somewhat briefer in fidelity; but his presumption and Relations de la Neuville France for 1672 p. 20, as follows, "A famous me- dicine man of Oneida appeared after death to order his body to be taken up and to be interred on the trail to the Susquehannocks as the only means of saving that canton from ruin." See also .Dr. Shea's note No. 46 to Alsop's Maryland. pride rendered him unworthy of grace and baptism. He was held in unusual veneration among the Iro- quois and so his shade still seems baleful to Christianity. An elder re- cently convoked the tribe and an- nounced to it that this juggler had appeared to him in a dream and re- garding him with a terrible expres- 1672-The Great Susquehannock Chief Planned to be Captured. sion had bidden him to bear word to the elders that they were irredeem- In Relations de la Neuville France, 1672, p. 47, says that at this time the great Susquehannock War Chief Hotchitagete or Barefoot was much feared by the Iroquois and a raving woman and a crafty medicine man deluded the Iroquois with promises to capture him and execute him at the stake." See also year 1670, p. 47. ably lost; and that the Susquehan- nocks would come the next spring without fail to beseige the village and burn and slay all who resisted them. If however they wished to avoid these disasters they must be- move the dead juggler's body from the spot where it was buried and carry it out along the road leading to the Susquehannock country. He 1673 - The Susquehannocks Giving Way Before the Blows of the Iroquois. said that then there would be no fur- ther cause for alarm, since as (the dead juggler) had overcome the common enemy of the nations during his lifetime, he was still pursuing him after death, and his body on being transferred to the place desig- nated would not fail to inspire terror in the hearts of all who should ven- ture to approach the village.
Though the ground was covered with snow they failed not to execute to the letter the order they had re- ceived, bearing the dead body out along the road to Gandastogue (Sus- quehannock country) and there erect- ing to it the finest mausoleum to be seen among these barbarians. After all as this knave was found out to be a liar while alive, he proved no less untrustworthy after his death, two women having recently been brained by those very Susquehannocks with- in fifty paces of the palisades surrounding the village." See Jes. Rel., Vol. 56, p. 35. The same story | quehanna River, down to the Poto-
In Vol. 59, of the Jes. Rel. p. 251 we find, "Since the Sonnonlouaies (Huron name for Iroquois) have ut- terly defeated the Andaste (Susque- hannocks) their ancient and most re- doubtable foe their insolence knows no bounds, and they talk of nothing but renewing the War against our allies and even against the French and of beginning by the destruction of Fort Colarokoui." I do not know what place is meant by the name last given. From this item it seems pretty cer- tain that the Iroquois completed the subjugation of the Susquehannocks about the year 1672. However not content with defeating them, one of the tribes of the Iroquois confeder- acy, namely, the Senecas, kept on driving the Susquehannocks south- ward until about 1674 or 1675 they had driven them entirely off the Sus-
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mac where they were located when the deplorable and unjustifiable slaughter of five of their chiefs took place in an expedition led by Col. John Washington, grandfather of George Washington, and Major Tru- man, which we shall notice at large in its turn.
1673-The Final Stages of Conquest Near Susquehanna River.
Lewis Evans in his "Analysis" in his historical and political essays printed by Ben. Branklin 1755 page 14, says "the Susquehannocks after a great defeat by the Marylanders were easily exterminated by the Confeder- ates (Iroquois confederacy). So those nations which are now on Sus- quehana are only such as the con- federates allotted that river, for, viz. the Nanticokes from the eastern Shore of Maryland,-Tuteloes from the Meherin River in Virginia, and the Delawares under which we in- clude the Minnesinks and the Mandes or Salem Indians." Thus the In- dians who came to the Susquehanna River after the ancient Susquehan- nocks were driven out were of sev- eral tribes and have been called beg- gar Indians. Many of the Senecas and indeed several Indians of two or three more of the Five Nations' tribes came to the Susquehanna-and the general mixture became the Cones- togas later. However quite a few of the Susquehannocks got back too, later.
Lewis Evans, p. 12, also tells us that "though they (the Five Nations) gave the finishing stroke to the ex- termination of the Susquehannocks, Bell in the service of Maryland at the Fort whose remains are still stand- ing on the east side of the Susque- hanna about three miles below Wright's Ferry, by the defeat of many hundreds gave them a blow they (The Five Nations) never re-
covered of." It is strange the Mary- land Archives make no notice of this great feat by Col. Bell. I believe it was exaggerated.
1674 - Maryland Acknowledges the Five Nations (Senecas) Have Sus- jugated the Susquehannocks-Makes
Peace with the Senecas and Fears as a Result War with the Susque- hannocks.
In Vol. 2, of Maryland Archives, p. 378, under the date of 1674, it is set out: "In pursuance of a vote for peace with the Cynicas (Senecas) passed at a conference of both Houses which this government made with said Senecas; and for as much as the said peace may bring on a war
with the Susquehannocks, - this House, for the security of the pro- vince, do vote that an Act of Assem- bly be drawn up to empower the gov- ernor and council to make a war (up- on the Susquehannocks if necessary) by an equal assessment upon the persons and estate of the said pro- vince."
We shall see that a desultory war between Maryland and Susquehan- nocks did soon begin, and was kept up three or four years, as the Sus- quehannocks felt very bitter toward Maryland for recognizing the Senecas as victors. The friendship of the Susquehannocks was now turned to hatred, and they retaliated by way of murders and depredations.
1675 -Attitude of Susquehannocks and Iroquois Now.
Something of the situation at this time is shown in a letter dated Oct. 21, 1675, by Gov. Ed. Andros to the Governor of Maryland found in Vol. 5, second series, Pennsylvania Arch. p. 676, in which he says among other things: "I now give you an account of my engaging the Macques and Se- necas not anyways to injure any of the Christians to the eastward, and
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particularly in parts southward, your parts, in their warres with the Sus- quehannocks; but others apprehend it will be difficult to restrain especially the young men. I endeavored to be informed relating to that war, and found the Susquehannocks being re- ported by the Macques,that they might be brought to some peace
again, though, I still find the Senecas to be wholly averse to it, desiring their extermination. But hearing now of Indian troubles which has occasion- ed raising forces in your parts I send you an express; and if the trouble be by the Macques or Senecas, I of- fer you my services. If you think good I would desire some from the Susquehannocks to come to me so that I may order matters accord- ingly."
According to this the Susquehan- nocks, now being beaten in war, the Senecas wish to exterminate them. The trouble the New York Governor refers to is that of the depredations now going on about the Susquehanna river, done no doubt by both the Sen- ecas who now hold the country, and also by the Susquehannocks, who now live further south, but maraude into their old country (many murders being committed, and each of these two Indian tribes blaming all the murders on the other).
To this letter the governor of Maryland replied; and Dec. 10 of the same year the New York governor wrote another letter to the Maryland governor, among other things saying: "I am sorry the Susquehannocks were concerned (in the depredations) having always had the repute of being perfect friends to the Chris- tians, particularly Maryland, and being offspring of the Macques,though by the Senecas engaged in war, and the Indians to the eastward. All In- dians are now enemies of us. There .
only remains firm the Macques, and by them the Senecas." Vol. 5, sec- ond series, Penna. Archives, p. 678.
This letter sets out the reputation of the Susquehannocks of being friends of the Christians. While they were warlike and revengful, their honor, it seems, was to be de- pended on. A new thought as to them is thrown out in the statment that they are offsprings of the Macques. This brings to our minds for compari- son what we said in the opening chapter of these "Annals," quoting from Gordon, that the Susquehan- nocks came from the Wolf tribe of the Lenape.
1675 - Susquehannocks Driven From the Susquehanna River.
This subject I have noticed above and simply set it down again for the sake of making it prominent, as it ushers in the final stand of the Sus- quehannocks. See Scharf's History of Maryland, p. 189, and Lyle's His- tory of Lancaster County, p. 19. At this disastrous period also the Sus- quehannocks joined themselves to the Piscataways, a weak tribe which twenty years before they looked up- on with contempt. See Indian His- tory of Lower Susquehanna by Dau- phin County Historical Society, p. 42. 1675-The Effect of the Fall of the Susquehannocks.
In Vol. 60, Jesuit Relations, p. 173, the following is given as the result of the defeat of the Susquehannocks, upon the Iroquois: "Since the Iro- quois have at last succeeded in ex- terminating the Andaste (Susquehan- nocks), who had held out against them for over twenty years, they have become so insolent that they, talk only of breakng the missionaries' heads by way of beginning hostilities. Drunkenness, which prevails amongst them to a horrible extent, adds to it
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and makes them brazen enough to attempt anything."
1675 - The Susquehannocks' New Home on the Potomac.
The Iroquois, assisted by the other tribes of the Five Nations, having about 1652 begun the great war on the Susquehannocks and carried it along about fifteen years or less, un- til about 1664 they were dishearten- ed by their unsuccessful attempts on Susquehannock Fort, with the disas- trous results before noticed; and they about that date being supersed- ed in command by the Senecas as leaders of the Five Nations, which Senecas, carrying on the war, assist- ed by the other tribes of the Five Nations until 1675, utterly defeated them (the Susquehannocks) ; they were now driven from the Susque- hanna river to a deserted fort on the Potomac,gradually having been press- ed and driven southward, and their numbers having dwindled down to 300 by war and small-pox. This fate was sad enough, but as we shall show in later items a worse fate awaited the remnant that were left. So much murdering of whites now occurred in Maryland and the victorious Senecas so well succeeded in making the people believe the Susquehannocks were doing all of it (while in truth it was done by the crafty Senecas, and blamed on the Susquehannocks for political effect), that Maryland decreed the Susquehannocks must move up to the head of the Potomac, about 100 miles farther back into the coun- try; and before the poor savages had time to do that Maryland and Vir- ginia combined and made a cowardly attack upon them, precipitating a campaign of war and siege which ended in about two years in dissipat- ing them so that those who were not killed were divided into small parties and were absorbed in other tribes.
We shall now proceed to this sad chapter.
1675 - The . Susquehannocks Seek Peace and Protection in Their New Home - Action of the Government of Maryland.
The Susquehannocks, being over- come by the Senecas and their north- ern allies, are now further torment- ed and harassed by marauding part- ies of their enemies, and in their des- peration they turn to Maryland for a place to live under the protection of that government. Their old home and lands are infested with the vic- tors. Volume 2 of Maryland Archives p. 428 sets out: "Some of the great men of Susquehannough were this day admitted (Feb. 19) to the Upper House and asked what part of the province should be allotted for them to live upon; but before this House answers, they desire to know the opinion of the Lower House."
In the Lower House, "The opinion of this House is that should the Sus- quehannock Indians be permitted to live among the respective tribes of friendly Indians this year it may be of dangerous consequence to the province:
(1) That their being among them may corrupt our Indians and mould them so to their own future designs, as will prove detrimental to this pro- vince.
(2) This House hath reason to suspect that the design of the Sus- quehannocks coming among the Eng- lish and claiming protection may be out of a design purposely to discover the strength of the province and the advantage they may take for the fut- ure and will be dangerous.
(3) We have reason to suspect that the Susquehannocks and Senecas have private correspondence together notwithstanding the seeming war be-
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tween them which may be dangerous to the province should they be per- mitted among our neighbor Indians.
(4) If they are absolute enemies of the Senecas yet it will so exaspe- rate the Senecas for us to entertain them that should a war this ensuing year happen between the Senecas and them, the whole province must in general suffer, and therefore this House is of the opinion it will not be safe for the government to appoint a place for them above the falls of Potomac there being time enough to clean ground enough to plant corn this year, which is the only thing they seem to desire to live among the neighbor Indians for."
And page 429 it is stated "The same day the Upper House ordered that Harignera, the Great Man of the Susquehannocks, should be in- formed that when he was at Mata- paine with the governor he told him he would be content if the English would let him and the Susquehan- nocks live at the falls of the Poto- mac-that the governor has moved the Assembly to let them live above the falls, and the governor was wil- ling they should move above the falls, but not to plant corn any nearer the English as they and the English might fall out and fight. In answer after some tedious debate the Sus- quehannocks signify to the governor that they would be willing to condes- cend to move to the head of the Po- tomac."
This serves to show in what an attitude the Marylanders, especially the Assembly held themselves toward the Susquehannocks. All these steps tended toward one goal-that is to- ward war on the Susquehannocks by Maryland. This soon was the ripe fruit that the condition bore, as is shown by the following extract from the proceedings of the Maryland Assem-
bly, page 462, of the same volume of Maryland Archives. "An act for rays- ing a supply for the governor and captain general to defray the charges of making peace with the Senecas and war with the Susquehannocks."
Truly the Susquehannocks were now in a pitiable plight. They were whipped by the Senecas and other northern confederates of the Five Nations; they were harassed and driven by them on toward the Poto- mac; they were suspected by the Marylanders, and not allowed to in- habit among other tribes of friendly Indians, for fear of stirring them up against the government; they were blamed for all the murders commit- ted by the Senecas and finally they were ordered by the government to go up the Potomac, away from the English.
1675-The Act of Assembly Declaring War on the Susquehannocks.
The above cited Act is as follows: "An acte for Raysing a Supply to defray Charges of Making Peace with the Cynegoes (Senecas) and Making War with the Susquehannocks and Their Confederates if Occasion Re- quires."
"The two Houses of Assembly hav- ing received certain credible in- formation of the many outrages and murders committed upon the persons and states of divers good people of this province in Baltimore county by the Susquehannock Indians and other their confederates by them counte- nanced and protected contrary to the articles of peace of your Lord- ship's council have agreed and con- cluded upon certain measures, upon which a war is likely to ensue and it being also concluded that it may be of great benefit and advantage to the interests of the province to make peace with the Cynegoes (Senecas) for the defraying of the expenses of
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such warre or peace if it shall seem necessary to the captain general and council to make such warre or peace do pray it may be enacted:
And be it enacted, etc., that there be levied and raysed this present year the sum of fifty thousand pounds of tobacco by an equal assessment upon the persons and estates of the inhabitants of the province to be paid to his excellency, Charles Cal- vert, Esq., captain general of this province to be by him disposed of as he and his council think meet, for and towards the defraying of all such charges and expenses as shall be laid out and expended in and about the carrying on or making any warre or peace with the Susquehan- nocks or any of their confederates or with the Senecas if the council and governor think expedient to make such warre or peace this pre- sent year." See same, 2 Md. Arch. pp. 462 and 463.
1675 -- The Maryland Government Opens Hostilities Upon the Susque- hannocks.
In Vol. 15, p. 48 of the Maryland Archives, it is set out, "It is ordered that a regiment of horse consisting offive troops of fifty men in troop be forthwith raysed and fitted with suf- ficient horse and arms and ammuni- tition for the expeditions march against the barbarous enemy and to assist the Virginia forces now pre- paring to pursue their enemies the Susquehannock Indians, and demand- ing delivery of those Indians which lately committed the murders on his Majesty's subjects in Virginia; and it is further ordered that the said Susquehannock Indians be forthwith forced off from the place where they now are to remove themselves to the place they assured the last as- sembly they would go and seat them- selves.
Accordingly Thos. Dent is dispatch- ed away to Colonel Washington and Major Allerton with the following letter:
"You are to march to the north side of Piscataway Creek, where you shall advise upon the ways and means to prosecute the war against the Doegs and the Susquehannock Indians till the murderers are delivered and all passible satisfaction obtained for damages done." (At this time there were 6,610 taxables in Maryland). See same book and page.
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