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 17
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In Vol. 2 of the Colonial Records, p. 387 in the 22nd of July, 1707 one of the spokesmen of the Conestogas was asked by Governor Evans how long the Indians of that neighborhood were at peace with the Five Nations and the Indian replied 27 years. That would make the date of peace in 1680 and of course the expedition if it was to help the Susquehannocks would have been before the Susquehan- nocks were at peace with the Five Nations. I believe however, that the answer of the Indian was wrong and that peace was not established before the year 1682.
The best authority we have on both whether there was an expedition against the Five Nations and when it occured is to be found in Vol. 5, Second Series of the Pennsylvania Archives, pp. 731 to 734. It is there
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set forth that a treaty of peace in | that year was being made between the Five Nations and the Governor of Maryland and the proceedings of the treaty are there set out at large. At page 734, the Agent for Maryland, Colonel Henry Coursey says, to the different tribes of the Five Nations who were present, "You have killed our horses, cattle and hogs and rob- bed our houses and killed some of our subjects, whereby we were justly provoked to have made a war upon you, and dispatched away our troops to your country to have re- venge for the several mischiefs done to us." He then goes on to tell them at the same time the soldiers went to make the war, he now comes to make peace. This happened the' 4th of August, 1682. I would not know what else he could mean by saying that "we dispatched away our troops into your country to have revenge" unless he meant to refer to Colonel Beall's expedition. We have noticed in a former item that Beall was made Ranger at the beginning of the have
year 1682. I no authentic proof that Beall had cannon with him or that he slaughtered many Senecas. I do not believe that there was an extensive slaughter and the authorities which I have just quoted would seem to show that Beall was only sent to frighten the Senecas and that before he did much killing peace was arranged. There is only one thing more to add and that is that this was the last warfare between the whites and the Indians on Pennsy- Ivania soil in these early days until the French and Indian war broke out in 1755. This expedition of Beall thus happened a few months before William Penn arrived in his Pro- vince.
1682-The Impeachment of Jacob
Young.
In Vol. 7 of the Maryland Archives, p. 370 an impeachment against Jacob
Young is set forth charging:
(1) That Jacob Young not regard- ing due obedience which he as one of the people of this Province ought to his Lordship hath endeavored to alienate his affection from the Pro- prietary and the better to do it did contract marriage and take to wife an Indian woman of the Susquehannock Nation; by whom he had several children one or more of which is now among the Indians and he the said Jacob Young is more concerned for them than is this province:
(2) That the said Jacob Young has so far espoused the interest of the Susquehannocks and other Northern Indians that in 1675 and several years since at Cecil county, even when the said Indians were enemies, did succor aid and assisted the Sus- quehannocks against the Piscata- ways:
(3) That the said Jacob Young to show his affection and kindness to those Susquehannocks has often in years and places aforesaid, given out in speeches and declared that the Susquehannocks are an innocent and harmless people and has palliated their rapine and justified their mur- ders:
(4) That while. employed by the Province to help bring about peace between the Province and the North- ern Indians, causing great outlays of tobacco, Jacob did secretly instigate hostilities to be continued and pre- vented peace:
(5) That Jacob further declared his adherence to the said Susquehan- nocks and other Northern Indians by carrying on an oppressive war
against the Piscataways on no other account than that the Piscataways did not assist the Susquehannocks in the late war by them made against the Proprietor and did make it his business to move and stir up the
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Susquehannocks to make war on the | 1682-Susquehannocks Still Among Piscataways; and did take upon him the Senccas. to travel to several parties, to the Susquehannocks then scattered in several parts of Maryland and Vir- ginia and rallying them did encour- age them in hostile manner to invade this Province:
(6) And since his imprisonment he gives out that he has so much in- fluence over the Susquehannocks that he can make them do what he pleases; and when he was put in irons he now declares he will have revenge on those who put him in irons."
No comment is needed on this im- peachment as it explains itself. One or two points are worthy of notice, to wit: that the Susquehannocks were yet a source of annoyance and terror to Maryland and they evidently had influential friends such as this man Jacob Young and others of a similar standing.
1682-Jacob Young's Answer.
Jacob Young filed his answer to the above impeachment saying:
(1) "That he denies he is an enemy of the Government.
(2) He denies that he married a Susquehannock Indian woman and never had any children by such wife; and never was concerned for the Sus- quehannock Nation against Mary- land:
(3) That in 1675 he did not live in Maryland but in Delaware and was sent for to come to Maryland to in- terpret for Maryland the Susquehan- nock language and that he several times at the risk of his life induced the Susquehannocks to be loyal to this Government and to stay with- in its bounds; and that he persuaded the Susquehannocks that were gone over the Delaware to come back, at great hazzard he sought out the said Susquehannocks and found them." (See 7 Md. Archives, pp. 386 to 391).
In Vol. 17 of the Maryland Arch., p. 110 under date of May 30, 1682 is set forth that "an express from New York brings advise that some hosts of Northern Indians are set out for these parts; and those that al- ready set forth were headed chiefly by the Susquehannocks and other war captains and are ill effected to- ward the Governor of Maryland. Therefore, to prevent blood-shed and surprise all the military commanders are to have timely notice."
On the same subject there is a let- ter to Captain Blockhouse found in 17 Maryland Archives, p. 203 which states, "Our humble request is that you will by the first opportunity that comes this way send a power from your hand to us to dispatch away from hence persons that we may em- ploy for our. money to present the Northern Indians; which are com- manded by the Susquehannocks of whom we have too great cause to fear for their designs against the
Christians."
From this we see that the Susque- hannocks living among the Senecas were great agitators of strife and kept the Colonists in mortal dread. They had military power and were natural leaders; and are now found commanding and leading forth to pillage bands of other Northern In- dians.
1682-Peace Between Maryland and the Five Nations, (Including the Susquehannocks Under Their Control.)
In Vol. 5 of the Second Series of the Pennsylvania Archives, pp. 731 to 739 is set forth an extensive treaty between Maryland and the Five Nations; it is a long treaty and is as follows:
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(1) That the parties will keep per- fect faith with each other:
(2) That they will not join to- gether so as to overcome the other provides:
(3) That if any Indian among any Christians or any of the Christians living among the Indians commit murder upon the other party that those so committing the murder shall be punished :
(4) That the friendship with the Piscataways shall be kept and that all these provisions will be kept.
This treaty also provides that if either parties have prisoners among them that they will give them up; this includes the Susquehannocks.
1682-The Susquehannocks Indians Meet William Penn.
Rupp in his History of Lancaster County, p. 24, says, "that when the first grand treaty with the Indians" was held that Indians were present "from the shores of the Susquehan- na." The same is set forth in Lyle's History of Lancaster County, p. 3.
Mombert in his History of Lancas- ter County, p. 49 says, "There were at least three Indian tribes present at the great treaty the Lenni Le- napes living near the Delaware; the Mingoes from Conestoga and the Shawanese from the Susquehanna. Penn was accompanied by a few of his friends." Mombert also quotes Janney in saying, "It was near the close of November, 1682, the loftiers on the banks of the Delaware had shed their summer attire, the ground was strewn with leaves, and the Council fire burned brightly fanned by the breeze." He then goes on to tell how the Indians sat at the treaty and of their peculiar dress; that the chiefs were in front of the aged men in the form of a half moon; the young men and aged women and fur- ther back the youth of both sexes. He says that Penn was dressed like
the rest of his comrades, except he had a sky-blue sash of silk net-work around his waist.
Gordon in his History at page 603 in a note says that the Indians at Conestoga in 1722 showed Governor Keith a roll of parchment containing a treaty which Penn made with them and he says it was the great treaty. He also quotes Mr. R. Cunningham saying that he, Cunningham, discov- ered an envelope in a bundle of pap- ers relating to the Shawnese Indians with the following endorsement, "Minutes of the Indian Conference in Relation to the Great Treaty made with William Penn at the Big Tree, Shackamaxon on the 14th of the 10th month, 1682." The papers are not to be found. As further proof that the Conestogas were at Penn's treaty or met Penn at one of the early treaties at Philadelphia, this note sets out that Tawenna a Conestoga chief at a treaty held under Governor Gor- don, May 26, 1729 made reply to a speech which he the Indian Chief said Penn had made to them under the Elm tree. Mombert also says at p. 48, citing Watson's Annals that William Penn in 1682 endeared him- self to the Indians, and that "he walked with them, sat with them on the ground and ate with them their roasted acorns and hominy. At this they expressed delight and soon be- gan to show how they could hop and jump, at which exhibition to cap the climax, William Penn sprang up and beat them all." This is given for what it is worth.
Hockwelder in his narrative on the Indians, p. 77, in commenting upon the Paxtung murder of the Cones- togas that "they were the descen- dants of those ancient Conestoga In- dians who welcomed him upon this first arrival and presented him with venison, etc." He would therefore
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have us believe that when the In- dians of the Susquehanna Territory went to the great treaty and welcom- ed William Penn that they took veni- son and meat along as presents.
1682-The Susquehannocks Move to Turkey Hill.
Lyle in her history states that in this year the Susquehannocks moved to Turkey Hill on the Susquehanna. Turkey Hill is in Manor Township three miles below Columbia-(See Lyle's History, p. 20). At the same page this history says that this time
Penn visited the Susquehannocks. I am inclined to think it was a year or two later; and this history also states that Penn gave them their In- dian town of 500 acres in Manor Township about this same time- (See same page Lyle's History).
There is no doubt that there was always a good feeling and amity be- eween Pennsylvania and the Susque- hanna Indian tribes and without a ripple. On p. 15 of Vol. 2 of the Col- onial Records is set forth the treaty with the Susquehannock Indians con- cerning lands in 1701, and the second paragraph states, "Hitherto there has always been a good understanding and neighborhood between the said William Penn and his Lieutenants since his first arrival in this Prov- ince and the several nations of In- dians inhabiting in and about the same." This all shows that there was very early friendly communica- tion and general good understanding between the tribes of Indians on the Susquehanna River and the Govern- ment of William Penn.
1683-Consultation on Jacob Young's Alleged Conspiracy With the Susquehannocks.
In Vol. 7 of the Maryland Archives pp. 475 and 476 it is stated that the following proceeding took place be-
fore the Maryland Council relative to Jacob Young. I quote it as follows: "The House find against Jacob Young that in 1677 when Colonel Henry Coursey was empowered by commis- sion from Thomas Notley to go to Albany to negotiate he took Jacob Young as an interpreter, and when Coursey after coming to Albany told Jacob Young that his commission was to conclude a peace Jacob answered that if he had known so much before he came thither that the Susquehan- nocks were not to be included in the peace he had rather given 20,000 pounds of tobacco than to come along and that in 1682 when the Northern Indians came and besieged the Piscataway Fort, Colonel Coursey and Colonel Stevens sent as agents and Young as interpreter, Young in- quired why the Northern Indians came down to war with the Piscata- ways contrary to treaties which Young was to ask them, the said Young said nothing for some time but afterwards answered that if he had thought he was to have spoken of any such thing he would rather have given 20,000 pounds of tobacco than have come. Since his imprisonment he has said the Susquehannocks are an innocent people and that he can make them do what he will."
The two Houses took this matter up but they finally disagreed about Jacob Young's punishment and, af- ter being imprisoned for some time he was discharged.
1683-The First of Penn's Purchases From the Indians of the Sus- quehanna River.
The first purchase by Penn of land on the Susquehanna River which I can find is shown by a deed from Kepelappan found in Vol. 1 of the Penna. Archives, p. 67. It is as fol- lows: "I, Kekelappan, of Opaiskunk,
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for me, my heirs and Assigns, do | tive orders from mee about itt, and hereby give and grant unto William Mr. Haige, Esqr., Penn's Agent, is to be acquainted with the contents of this Letter. Gentlemen, I am, as- suredly, Your Faithful Servant, Penn, Proprietary and Governor of ye Province of Pennsylvania, etc., his Heirs and Assignes, that half of all my lands betwixt Susquehanna and Delaware, which lyeth on the Sus- quehanna side; and do hereby fur- ther promise to sell unto him at ye next Spring, at my return from hunt- ting, ye other half of my land, at as reasonable rates as other Indians have been used to sell in this River. In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal at Philadel- phia ye 10th of November, 1683."
Just to what point the land ex- tends we can not now ascertain but we will notice that the deed recited that it is land between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers, lying on the Susquehanna side, therefore, it is a part of our county now.
It seems that almost as soon as this purchase was made Penn's troubles began with the Five Nations, who as we have seen before were the owners of all this land by conquest, having subjugated the Susquehannocks. They made their dissatisfaction known to Governor Dungan of New York who sent a letter dated the 18th of Sept- ember, 1683 to the Indian commis- sioners of New York which may be found in Vol. 1 of the Penna. Arch., p. 74 and is as follows: "Gentlemen: I have this day advised with the Councill, and after a serious con- sideration as a cause of so great Im- portance require, it is for good and weighty reasons thought very conven- ient and necessary to putt a stopp to all proceedings in Mr. Penn's affairs with the Indyns until his bounds & limits be adjusted, att ye determin- ing of which I think either to be per- sonally present or else send some person. You are, therefore, to suf- fer no manner of proceedings in that business, until you shall have posi-
THOMAS DUNGAN.
As this letter plainly shows Dun- gan says it was necessary to put a stop to all Penn's proceedings with the Indians on the Susquehanna at present. The Susquehannock In- dians who sold Penn land here plain- ly were imposing a fraud upon him, they knew that the Five Nations owned the land and that they had no right to sell it.
1683-Another of Penn's First Pur- chases From the Indians on the Susquehanna River.
In Vol. 5 of the Maryland Archives p. 402 there is a letter written by William Penn, dated at New Castle, Oct. 16, 1683, which is as follows: "I do hereby declare that I have bought of Machaloha all his land and rights by the Delaware River and the River of Susquehanna and Bay of Chesapeake. And I do warn all per- sons that they presume not to settle thereon without my leave and that those that actually are or hereafter shall settle upon any part of the same do behave themselves justly and lawfully towards him and his fel- low Indians."
Machaloha was one of the inferior chiefs of the Susquehannocks but I am not able to say whether he was a pure Susquehannock or a represen- tative of some of the Northern con- federates. But further particulars of this purchase may be found in Vol. 1 of the Penna. Archives, p. 67 where this Machaloha under the date of October 18, 1683, in a deed says that he is the owner of all the lands from the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay and up to the Falls
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of Susquehanna and that he does sell ; for it. All that I desire of you for my the same unto William Penn and ac- own security is that you will engage in case his Royal Highness be fond of their gift, that you will save me harmless,"-(See Vol. 1 of Penna. Archives, p. 77). knowledging that he has received part of the purchase money and that the remainder is to be paid in the Spring. This is delivered in the pre- sence of Edward Cantwell, Lasse Cock and several others.
1683-The Next Step Taken by the Susquehanna Indians About Their Lands.
Something of Penn's manner of dealing with the Indians is told us by Mombert in his History, p. 51, where he says that on one occasion Penn unrolled a parchment and ex- plained the articles of a treaty of purchase and said by these that they would be protected in their lawful pursuits even in the lands which they had given away. Then, says Mom- bert, Penn laid the roll of parchment on the ground and told them to ob- serve it as a sign that the land should belong to both. That then he took the parchment again and handed it to the Chief and told them that they should keep it safely for three gen- erations so that their children might know what had taken place.
These Indians after having sold Penn two tracts of land above men- tioned now sell it all to Governor Dungan of New York. We can not tell whether they did this because they were afraid of the Five Nations or because they wanted to give Penn more trouble. We shall see a little later that the Iroquois demanded that Penn should not settle any white people on the Susquehanna River. Governor Dungan himself tells about his getting possession of the lands on Susquehanna and speaking about the Indians who lived on that river he says, "They have all of them agreed to give Susquehanna River to me and I have it under their hands to show
And under the date of October 22, 1683, Dungan writes another letter to Penn and says, "All business goes here to great satisfaction; the Sus- quehanna River is given me by the Indians by a second gift about which you and I shall not fall out. I de- sire we may join heartily together to advance the interest of my master and your good friend."-(See Vol. 1 of Penna. Archives, p. 80). Penn had a good deal of reason to be suspi- cious of these New York transactions. One of his friends John West in a let- ter dated October 16, 1683, which may be found in Vol. 1 of the Penna. Archives, p. 79, writing from New York says," "Your affairs about the Susquehanna land are well effected, though the people of Albany, jealous of their trade much oppose you inter- est therein; for the particulars of which I refer you to the Commis- sioners."
A few months later as may be seen by Thomas Dungan's letter to Wil- liam Penn in Vol. 1 of the Penna. Archives, p. 84 relations were quite strained between him and Penn; and he wrote under the date of March 17, 1684 from New York to Penn and among other things he says, "I fear you coveting your neighbors' lands would do much prejudice, and this I say out of a concern and sense of kindness for you."
We may observe here that Penn did have a great deal of difficulty in getting these lands back and it was not until 12 years later, in 1696; that he succeeded in having them deeded back by Governor Dungan. But this we will notice later.
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There can be no doubt that they -
were conveyed by Dungan from what I have said above but there is an additional evidence in Vol. 4 of the Colonial Records, p. 708 where Can- assatego, an orator of one of the Five Nations making a speech in the Lan- caster Court House on June 26, 1744 said to the Governor of Maryland, "We are now straitened and sometimes in want of deer and liable to many other inconveniences since the Eng- lish came among us, and particularly from the pen and ink work which is going on at the table (pointing to the secretaries), and we will give you an instance of this. Our brother Onas a great while ago came to Al- bany to buy the Susquehanna lands of us, but our brother the Governor of New York, who as we suppose had not a good understanding with our brother Onas advised us not to sell him any for he would make ill use of it; and pretending to be our friend, he advised us, in order to prevent Onas's or any other persons impos- ing on us and that we might always have our land to put it in his hands and told us he would keep it for our use, and never opened his hands and let it get out. We trusted him, we put our lands into his hands, and charged him to keep it safe for us but he went away to England and carried our land with him and then sold it to our brother Onas for a large sum of money; and when, at the instance of our brother Onas we were minded to sell him some land, he told us that we had sold it al- ready to the Governor of New York and that he bought it from the Gover- nor of New York, and that he had bought it from him in England; though when be came to understand how the Governor of New York had deceived us, he generously paid us for our lands over again."
All this goes to show that about 1683 either through deception or otherwise these Susquehanna lands were put into the hands of the Gov- ernor of New York as we have above stated.
Further reference as to the Susque- hanna Indians making their title over to the Governor of New York may be found in Vol. 3 of the Col. Records, p. 97, where James Logan while at Conestoga told the Indians that they knew "the Five Nations had long since made over all their rights to the Susquehanna to the Governor of New York." And likewise at p. 101 of the same book he says that the Five Nations had frequently acknow- ledged that they had sold the Sus- quehanna lands to Governor Dungan.
Therefore whether this was done for the benefit of Dungan. because the Iroquois were angry on account of the petty Susquehanna chieftains having sold a couple small tracts to Penn and thus determined to put it out of their power to do so we can not tell; but at any rate it caused Penn a great deal of trouble to get the title back again.
1683 or 1684-Penn's First Visit to the Indians on and About the Susquehanna River.
By some historians it is taken as proved that William Penn was among the Indians of the Susquehanna River twice, once in 1683 or in the early summer of 1684 just before he departed for England in the Fall of 1684 and once in 1701 immediately before leaving for England the sec- ond time. Other historians doubt that the first visit was made.There is no absolute proof that it was made but there is a considerable amount of evidence at hand; and I will now give from the books those facts which are considered proof that Penn visit-
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ed these Indians of the Susquehanna River in 1683 or 1684. There is no doubt, whatever about his second visit and that we will take up in its order.
Penn perhaps about 1683 or 1684 sent parties to view the Susque- hanna River. In Vol. 19 of the Sec- ond Series of the Penna. Archives, p. 13 there is a letter written by William Penn to his cousin William Markham and others, dated 1686, in which speaking of the Susquehanna and land there he shows much fam- iliarity with that river saying, "I hereby order you to take up the most convenient place, that is to say the canoable branch of the West side of Schuylkill about 30 miles from the town (Philadelphia) 10,000 acres for my daughter Gulielma Maria Penn; 'Tis that which goes towards the Sus- quehanna by which they rode when Ralph Frewell went to view the river."
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