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 21
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The Susquehannock King also says
that Garland also threatened that he would carry them all away and make them servants and that Garland also laid threatening hands on them and did them other mischief. This peti- tion is dated at Brandywine, the first of May, 1700.
A note found on page 1 says that Garland lived at New Castle in 1701. And that he was arrested on a com- plaint of the Shawnese Indians for having brought to the Shawnese set- tlement several anchors of rum; and made the Indians believe that Penn sent it.
1700-The French Back of Pennsyl- vania Trade with Our Indians.
In Vol. 1 of the Penn and Logan Correspondence, p. 39 above referred to it is stated that the French are settling back of Pennsylvania, four days from New Castle and that Lewis Lenoivin, who lived many years in Eastern Pennsylvania and traded with the Indians is run away to them, the French, as a spy.
1700 - Ganawese Indians Move Into Pennsylvania.
In Vol. 2 of the Colonial Records, p. 191, under the date of 1705 it is stated that "about five years ago the Piscataway or Ganawese Indians set- tled in this Province near the head of the Potomac, and that they were now reduced by sickness to a small num- ber and desired to quit their present habitation which they occupied since 1700, at which time the Conestoga In- dians had become their guarantees of friendship made between them. And now the Schuylkill Indians desire them to settle near them."
Here we have a statement of the time when the first of the tribes
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
forming the new conglomeration of Indians came into Pennsylvania and also the statement that at the time that they came the Conestogas agreed to guarantee their good behavior. At page 245 of the same book it is stat- ed that "when in 1700 the Piscata- ways settled in this Government they also went to Philadelphia in company with Indians of Conestoga and the Shawnese and made a treaty, where- by these last named Indians engaged to the Government for the peaceable behavior of the Ganawese"; and they behaved in a peaceable manner for many years after they made their promise.
1700-Doings About Conestoga.
This year says Miss Lyle in her history of Lancaster County, p. 6 Chartier set up a trading post about a mile below the Susquehannock Fort; and also at p. 28 that he began his trading about Conestoga this year, and that this year Colonel James Wright was appointed to look after the Indians of this section.
Rupp says at page 54, that Bizal- ion was licensed to trade with the Indians of this section this same year; and Rupp also says at Page 28 that this year the Shawnese had their Fort on the Upper Octoraro near the line of where a road afterwards laid out to August Sessions, 1719 of the Chester County Court, passed.
1700-Penn Desires Religious Schools for the Indians.
In the first volume of Proud's History, p. 423 Penn sets forth his great concern that religious instruc- tions should be given to the Indians. but what was done in this regard I can not find.
1700 - Chalkley Journeys Among the Chesapeake Indians.
says, p. 34 in speaking of the year 1700, that he journeyed through the Indian Country and tells of his con- tact with them, the things he learn- ed from them and what some of their strange ways and customs were.
1700-Peter Bizalion's Trading House.
In Vol. 19 of the Sec. Series of the Penna. Archives, p.
317 we are shown the central station of Peter Bizalion's trading operations. It is there stated that his main trading post was established this year at Mahanatawny.
1700 - The Pennsylvania Inhabitants Settle as Far South as the Mouth of Octoraro Creek.
In Vol. 1 of the Pennsylvania Archives, p. 432 we are shown that the first intention was that Pennsyl- vania should extend South to the junction of the Octoraro with the Susquehanna. In this book under the date of 1734 in the instructions to Hamilton & Georges it is stated, "Pennsylvania has been possessed of and maintained its Government for more than thirty years past as far South as the Mouth of Octoraro or near it; nor has Maryland ever ex- ercised jurisdiction over the inhabi- tants or Indians north of that limit until two or three years ago."
I cite this merely to show what line determined the Indians belong- ing to Pennsylvania and those be- longing to Maryland.
1700-Conestoga Now the Great Capi- tal of all the Susquehanna Indian Tribes.
In Vol. 3 of the Colonial Records, p. 604 at a treaty at Philadelphia in 1735 at which Thomas Penn was pre- sent the old deed of 1700 and the treaty of a few months later ratify-
In Chalkley's Works called "Chal- kley's Autobiography of Travel," he ling it were brought out and read to
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the Indians and in commenting upon them the Governor says, "These articles you see here were made prin- cipally with the Susquehannock In- dians who then lived mostly at Conestogoe; and the Shawenese also as their friends came under our Fathers' protection and entered into the same league."
I quote this simply for the purpose of showing that the head-quarters of the Indians of Eastern Pennsylvania at this time were Conestoga. That while there were yet some Indians near the Delaware there were not many of them because of the advanc- ed civilization on that river and those that lived on the Schuylkill were also few in number but the greater bulk of Pennsylvania In- dians were centered around Cones- toga or the Susquehanna at this time, viz .: the Conestogas or frag- ment of the old Susquehannocks to- gether with different branches of the Iroquois and with them the Shaw- nese, Ganawese, the Conoys; and the Delawares, who while they still liv- ed in the Schuylkill River were also few in number and in 1709 moved to the Susquehanna River also. (See 2 Col. Rec., p. 469.).
1700-A Line Surveyed from Philadel- . phia Direct to Conestoga
In Vol. 2 of Watson's Annals, p. 175 Mr. Watson says, "In July, 1700, there was a survey of a line from Philadelphia direct to Susquehanna, coming nigh the mouth of Cone- stoga creek, a little more north, (about four miles), near to 'an old fort demolished.' This was in conse- quence of surveyor-general Holmes' purchase of all the lands from Up- land creek to Pemapeck creek, and so backward to Susquehanna, two days' journey. The land is said to have been bought of the Indian Kings and sakamackers, for the use
of William Penn-bought of Shak- hoppah, Secaming, Malebore, Tan- goras, Indian kings; and Maskecasho, Wawarrin, Tenoughan, Tarrecka, Nesonhaikin, Indian sackamackers. I notice that in the way of the line of survey, two Indian paths traverse it obliquely, northwest by north-the first from Philadelphia, is at Rocky Run, (fifteen miles), between the head waters of Ridley and Chester creeks, the second at thirty-eight miles, two miles beyond Doe Run. These facts I found recorded in a survey book, No. 14, in the land office, and the above extracts are from the warrant of survey of Holme. Below follow other facts on the same subject, all tending to show the treaty by which the lands of Philadelphia city and county are held."
Watson then sets out the letter which Thomas Holme wrote to
Shachoppah and other Indians but we have already given that in full in an article under the date of 1688, entitled, "The Boundaries of the Walking Purchases, etc." We will not repeat it because we have cited it before for other purposes and we cite it now only to make prominent the fact of a survey of a direct line to Conestoga for this line is an im- portant one in our Colonial history. It will be observed that it lies almost on what afterwards was The Great Conestoga Road; and indeed, the eastern end of the Great Conestoga Road, at least to Haverford was in existence at the time of this survey. We have no doubt that the western end was a well defined Indian path which began as early as the found- ing of Philadelphia and was well de- fined by the year of 1700, for while the Susquehanna Indians first traded down the river, when Penn's enter- prises began they began trading with Philadelphia and in so doing made and followed a well defined road.
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1701-Shawanese at Pequea Complain of the Rum Trade
At a council held on the third of September, 1701, it is stated that, "Shemekenwhoa, one of the chiefs of the Shawana Indians solemnly de- clared and complained to the Governor that Sylvester Garland had brought to the Indian settlement of their nation several anchors of rum to the quantity of about 140 gallons and that to induce them to receive it and to trade with him he pretend- ed he was sent by the Governor and gave one cask as a present from him, upon which being entreated to drink they were afterwards very much abused." The Council ordered this matter to be further inquired into. (See 2 Col. Rec., p. 33.)
This same complaint is referred to in the Penn & Logan Correspond- ence in Vol. 1 at the foot of page 1 in a note, where it is stated by the editor that Garland lived at New Castel and in September, 1701, he was arrested and brought before the Council for bringing this rum.
The rum trade with the Indians was a great trouble to the early Govern- ment; and another character who violated the law was John Hans Steelman who lived in Maryland and without a license dealt in liquors with our Conestoga Indians, (See 2 Col. Rec., p. 21); and also the viola- tions of law by Louis and Peter Bezalion trading also in liquor about the Susquehanna were grievous. (See 2 Coll. Rec., p. 18.)
In 2 Col. Rec., p. 45, at a Council held on the 6th of October it was ordered that a warrant be sent out against Sylvester Garland for selling rum to the Indians, whereby he was arrested and brought before the Governor and Council to defend him- self or make answer. It seems, how- ever that while the rum trade was
grievous among the Indians of the Susquehanna yet the Government could do little to prevent it; and on the 6th of October 1701, a petition was presented to the Assembly by the inhabitants of Chester County to have rum selling among the In- dians stopped. The Assembly ap- proved the petition by a majority and ordered a statute to be drawn against the rum trade with the In- dians, (See Vol. 1 of the Votes of Assembly, pp. 151-153). The act against giving liquor to the Indians was passed October 28, 1701, and is found in Vol. 2 of Statutes at Large, p. 168. It provides among other things that liquor carried to the Indians shall be forfeited and go one-third to the Governor and two- thirds to the party that seizes the same; and that the Indians were em- powered to seize it the same as any- one else; and that also no per- son shall receive in pawn any cloth- ing or goods belonging to the In- dians for liquor, and those who violate the act shall suffer penalty of 10 pounds and the pawn might be seized by warrant by the near- est Justice of the Peace and be re- delivered.
This act to restrain the selling of liquor to our Indians had some dif- ficulty in passing. Exceptions and amendments were proposed to it by the Governor and the Assembly con- sidering the exceptions voted them down. There were two exceptions and both were defeated in the As- sembly. From this we see what difficulty our forefathers experienc- ed in keeping the liquor traffic from ruining the Indians of the Susque- hanna.
As additional evidence of what a field the Indians of the Susquehanna and other sections were for liquor traffic, Proud in his history of Penn-
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sylvania says at page 433, that
Joint company was organized to control the liquor business and be responsible for the consequences but it met with no favor.
1701-Letort Leaves Conestoga for
Canada
In Vol. 2 of the Col. Rec., p. 100, it is stated under the date of 1703 that, "James Letort who about two years ago went out of this Province to Canada returned and was ex- amined before Council and magis- trates and no great occasion was found to suspect him of evil designs against the Government, he having been bred in it from his infancy and behaved himself hitherto well. He was seduced to depart in 1701 in time of peace by the instigation of some others, nevertheless as he is now come back it was thought wise to bring him before Council to explain his action."
This James Letort was a very picturesque character about Cone-
stoga and we find that he very frequently was summoned before the Council.
1701-Indian Harry of Conestoga
We now introduce another remark- able character in the early annals of Conestoga Indian History in the person of an Indian familiary known as 'Indian Harry' of Cone- stoga but his technical Indian name was Cassawetoway as we have shown in a former item.
It is stated in 2 Col. Rec., p. 26, that in this year of 1701 the Council and Governor had entered into considering the many abuses arising from the Indians being ad- mitted to drink rum and it was or- dered by the next sitting of Assem- bly, that four of the prominent Indians on the Upper Delaware and
a | Indian Harry of Conestoga should be sent for to be consulted about passing a law for prohibiting all Indians from using rum. Action was later taken on the subject and we will speak of it in its order.
1701-The Potomac Indians Allowed to Settle in Pennsylvania
In Vol. 2 of Col. Rec., p. 17, it is set forth as one of the stipulations of the big treaty by the Conestogas, (which treaty we will set forth in full in a later item) that the Poto- mac Indians with their Colony shall have free leave of the said William Penn to settle upon any part of the Potomac River within the bounds of the Province of Pennsylvania, they observing and practicing all and singular the other articles of this treaty. By settling on the Potomac River is meant any part of the val- ley of the Potomac River. These Potomac Indians had become afraid of savage tribes of the South and wanted to move towards our Sus- quehanna country to be near the Conestogas.
1701-Penn Discusses Navigating the Susquehanna River to Carry In- dian Trade Cheaper
In Vol. 1 of the Penn & Logan Correspondence, p. 73, in a letter beginning page 69, written by William Penn to James Logan, Penn says, "I hope thy eye is upon the means to retrench expenses; and, pray, see the utmost, at a leisure hour of poor Marsh's project of navigating flats up Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers, above Falls; he assuring me that he could make the experiment for 40 shillings. Be it 50 shillings or 3 pounds it were a mighty advantage." In this I lieve there is evidence of Penn's de- sire to develop this Susquehanna country and get an out-let for İn- dian trade.
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1701-The Proofs of Penn's Second | to cultivate the ancient friendship."
Visit to the Susquehanna River and its Indians
We have before given the evidences tending to prove a visit Penn about 1684 to what is now the Lan- caster County region and we will now proceed to the proofs of a sec- ond visit made in 1701. The chief proofs are as follows:
1. Rupp in his history of Lancaster County, p. 35, says that Penn at a former treaty promised the Shawa- nese chiefs protection. To enable him to keep or fulfill this promise he visited them in person at Cone- stoga, attended by many gentlemen of distinction. This he says in a note at the bottom of the page 35 and speaking of the same in context he says, "Hís not succeeding in hav- ing legislative co-operation, to pre- vent liquor being sold to the Indians and debaucheries being practiced on them, to prevent their temporal ruin, he paid the sons of the fore- est a visit, participated in all their innocent amusements and in return received their visits in his own house at Pennsbury." According to Rupp the purpose of Penn's visit at Cone- stoga was to protect these poor In- dians. He cites Vol. 2
of the Colonial Records, p. 253. This is the page found in the old or first edition of the Colonial Records, which is now probably very rare. The page in the Colonial Records most com- monly at hand is p. 244 of Vol. 2 and at that place is set forth what James Logan told the Indians at Conestoga when he visited them in the spring of 1706. And speaking of William Penn, Logan said to these Indians that when he (Penn) was last in this country he visited those Indians of Conestoga and is soon to do the same on his arrival in order
2. In Vol. 2 of Watson's Annals, p. 209, Mr. Watson speaks of Neboway, an Indian chief of the Delawares, and says that this chief's name appears among the signers of the treaty at Conestoga in 1718, and that the chief said that he remembers that he saw William Penn on his second visit to Conestoga in 1701.
3. In Vol. 1 of the Penn & Logan Correspondence, p. 43, there is set forth a letter from Isaac Norris to Daniel Zachary, dated the 21st. of June, 1701, in which he says, "I am just come home from Susquehanna where I have been to meet the Gov- ernor. We had a round about journey and pretty well traversed the wilder- ness. We lived nobly at the King's Palace in Conestoga and from thence crossed to the Schuylkill where we fell in (reached it) about 30 miles up from hence (Philadelphia)." Here we have a plain statement that William Penn was at Susquehanna at the Palace of the King of the Conestogas in June, 1701.
4. To make doubly sure that the Governor spoken of was William Penn, I. cite Vol. 1 of the Penn & Logan Correspondence, p. 122, where James Logan writes to William Penn from Philadelphia on the 9th of July, 1702, and he says on speaking about lands on the Susquehanna and about the Octoraro that, "Griffith Owen and E. Shippen knew some- thing of the place having been with thee at Susquehanna which I did not." In this again there is the more ex- plicit statement that William Penn was on the Susquehanna.
5. In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec. p. 272, when Patrick Gordon held a council with some of the Five Nations and was discussing the affairs between them and the Conestogas, who were tributary to and slaves of the Five
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Nations. They said the first Gov- ernor of this place, Onash, (That is Governor Penn) when he first arrived here sent to them to sell land and that when the Governor was at Conestoga he desired the chiefs to speak about the purchases of the land. This is another refer- ence to Penn being at Conestoga.
6. In Vol. 1 of the Penn & Logan Correspondence, p. 41, in a letter from Isaac Norris to Samuel Chew the 15th of April, 1701, and he says, "Our Governor has gone out of town to meet with the chieftains of the Indians." This may refer to Penn's visit to Susquehanna, however, it seems to be nearly a month earlier than Penn's Susquehanna visit.
7. In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., p. 181, Governor Keith in the year of 1722 held a treaty at Conestoga and when there he said to the Indians, "The last time I was with you at Cone- stoga you showed me a parchment which you had received from William Penn containing articles of friend- ship between you and him." This again may be a reference to Penn's visit in 1701 but it may likely refer to the great treaty of September 1700 with the Conestogaes at Phila- delphia. Penn left for England about November, 1701, because Andrew Hamilton presides over the Assembly from that date onward. See 2 Col. Rec., p. 62.
At a Council held July 7, 1739, William Penn's intercourse with the Indians on the Susquehanna is again referred to seeming to indicate his being there about the year of 1701. (See 4 Col. Rc., p. 337.)
8. In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., p. 101, in a discussion between the Governor of New York and the authorities of Pennsylvania there is a letter dated 1720 and in it occurs this passage, "Upon Governor Penn's last arrival
here about 20 years ago he held a treaty with the Mingoes or Cone- stogas settled on Susquehanna," which is either a reference to his meeting them at Susquehanna or of the great treaty made at Philadelphia in September, 1700. Also in the same book, p. 149 Governor Keith in 1721 speaks to the Indians and says, "William Penn our and your father when he first settled this country with English subjects made a firm league of friendship with all the Indians in these parts (that is Cone- stoga) ;" and on page 54 I find refer- ences to the same effect.
9. In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., p. 92, James Logan speaking to the Cone- stogas in 1720, speaks of William Penn as their old friend and refers to his treaty 20 years ago; and on p. 93 he further refers to Penn's first Councils with the Indians, and on page 97 he refers to the same sub- ject.
10. It is to be noticed that histori- ans including Watson refer to a visit made by William Penn to the Sus- quehanna as a second visit, which is generally supposed to refer to this visit of 1701.
11. In the first walking purchase this land extended back to the Sus- quehanna and Penn seems to have been familiar with it.
12. Another fact seeming to point out Penn's familiarity with the Sus- quehanna River and its Indians and the country generally is found in Vol 1 of the Penn & Logan Correspond- ence, p. 170 where he says that if his enemies do not begin to treat him differently they will "drive me up to Pennsbury or Susquehanna for good and all." This shows that the Susquehanna was familiar to him at the time he stated this which was in 1702.
13. In Buck's history of Pennsyl- vania in an article entitled, “Will-
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
iam Penn in America" at p. 317, he | It is composed of a square wooden says ín a topic entitled Penn's Journey to the Susquehanna in 1701, and in it he says, "June was Penn's favorite month of travel. He set off about this time 'on a journey into the interior of the Province, (Isaac Norris's letter). On this occasion as tradition relates that Penn got lost in the woods on the hill on the Northern or Chester County side near present Valley Forge; and that he did not know where he was, until he got on the hill this side of Valley Creek when by a glimpse of the
Schuylkill and the country to the southward he regained his way and in consequence of the same named the former hill Mounty Misery and the latter Mounty Joy."
Buck further says, "It is probable the Proprietor's principal object was to win over the Indians to the Eng- lish interest on account of the ap- proaching trouble with France. He may allude to this in a letter to the Board of Trade & Plantations, the 2nd. of the 5th month, where he says, 'I have had divers meetings with the several nations of Indians of these parts as the Shawno, Susquehanna, Schuylkill and Delaware Indians by arguments and presents to persuade their submission to this government."
Buck further says, "This journey of Penn's to the Susquehanna we ob- serve has led to some error. Janney mentions it (2nd Edition, p. 435) as having taken place in the Spring. An article appeared in the Lancas- ter Inquirer on February 24, 1872, in which mention is made of a monu- ment having been erected and dedi- cated the previous 22nd of February ät Gap in Salisbury township, Lan- caster county, on the roof of a frame building over a fine spring of water where it is said, 'Penn met the In- dians and had a council with them.'
shaft neatly painted and lettered. On the west side is inscribed 'In Memory of William Penn, Who Visited This Place in the Year 1700.' Mention is: made that it was chiefly erected through the exertions of Isaac Walker, owner of the said spring building, who was led to it by his researches on the subject. It is probable that Penn may have met the Indians in council here but this visit must have been in June, 1701. The mistake consists in setting the time as that of one of the deeds from the Indians for land which were nearly always executed in Philadelphia."
This article as it appears in the In- quírer, I meant to insert here in full or ín part; but a fire has destroyed the office file copy. .
The Indians whom Penn met here, if he did so met them here were the Shawanes, as the old Shawana town of that section was very near this place. Its location may be found on any early map of Lancaster county near the head of Octoraro creek, as the Shawanese lived all along Pequea Creek and from the mouth to the source of the Octoraro. In the
Chester County records of August Sessions, 1719 of the Quarter Sessions Court can be found the courses and distances of an old road laid out in 1719, one course of which is stated to lie near old Shawana town near Octoraro.
These are the known proofs of William Penn's visit of 1701 to his brethren on the Susquehanna, Cone- stoga and other adjoining streams and of that visit there can be no doubt. It would seem that he came by the Southern route and returned by the Northern route, viz: along Conestoga and French creeks, reach- ing the Schuylkill River near the
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mouth of French creek, which Isaac Norris describes as being thirty miles up the Schuylkill River from Phila- delphia.
1701-The Great Treaty With Cone- stogas and Others
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