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 3
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1633-DeVries Contact With the Susquehannocks.
DeVries in his history of his trav- els in America, published in 1655, tells of the doings of the Minquas (Susquehannas) which he learned of in his first voyage as follows: "The 11th of Feb. fully fifty Indians came over the river from the fort (Nas- sau, now New Castle, Delaware), up- on the ice with canoes directly to our yacht so that they could step in it from the shore and speak to us. They were Minquas, who dwell among the English. They came on a warlike expedition and were 600 strong. They were friendly to us; but it would not do to trust them too far. I determined as the flood tide began, that we should haul into the mouth of the kill (river) so that they could not come upon us in force and master us." See Murphy's Trans- lation of DeVries p. 41.
1633-DeVries Learns of Susquehan- nock Barbarities.
The same author, p. 43, says "Feb- ruary 13th, three Indians came, who were of the tribe pursued by the Sus- quehannocks. They told us they were fugitives; that the Minquas (Susquehannocks) had killed some
of their people and they had escaped. They had been plundered of all their corn; their houses had been burnt and they had escaped in great want and had to flee and be content with what they could find in the woods and came to spy out in what way the Minquas had gone away. They told us also that the Minquas had killed ninety men of the Loukiekens; that they would come to us the next day when the sun was in the southeast as they were suffering great hunger; and that the Minquas had left and gone from us, back to their own country."
"DeVries in his voyages found the Susquehannocks in 1633 at war with the Armewamen and Sankiekans, Al- gonquins and other tribes on the Delaware maintaing their supremacy by butchery but they were friendly to the Dutch." Murphy's Translation of DeVries Voyages on p. 413.
In 1637 the Susquehannocks Conspire with the Rebellious Inhabitants of Kent Isle to Defy the Power of Maryland.
Vol. 3, page 64, of the Maryland Archives sets forth, 'Feb. 12, 1637, by the Governor and Council - The Governor and Council taking into consideration the many piracies, mu- tinies, insolencies and contempts of this government by divers inhabitants of Kent Isle, formerly committed and warrants sent lately into the island under the great seal of this province for apprehension of malefactors, were destroyed and the prisoners rescued out of the officers' hands by force and arms, and divers of them to protect themselves in an unlawful rebellion, did practice and conspire with the Susquehannock and other Indians against the inhabitants of this coun- ty, we have thought fit that the Gov-
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ernor should sail in this province to the said island with sufficient soldiers and establish martial law and for his assistance have under order a captain or commander to wit that Capt. Thos. Cornwaleys should go with him to aid and ass'st; and it is so com- manded." Kent Isle is a few miles from the mouth of the Susquehanna River, and the turbulent inhabitants found the great Susquehannocks a powerful allay, in their defiance of Maryland.
1637-The Susquehannocks Accused of Spreading Smallpox to Other Peoples.
.
In Vol. 14 of Jesuit Relations, p. 9, the following occurs: "On the 20th we learned a new opinion concerning the malady, smallpox, that a report was current that it had come from the Andastes (Susquehannocks). This tribe it is said had been infected therewith by Alaentsic, whom they hold to be the mother of him who made the earth-that she had passed through all the cabins of two valleys and that at the second they asked her, 'Now after all why is it thou makest us to die,' and that she answered, 'Because my grandson Souskeha is angry at men, for they do nothing but make war and kill one another and he is resolved to punish them."
Here we see something of the Sus- quehannock supersitition, and the su- perstitition of other Indian tribes. These mighty mysterious Susquehan- nocks were the frightful enemies of other tribes, and the very commonly attributed evils, misfortunes and calamities to them, believing that the Susquehannocks had some occult association with the devil and super- natural powers of many kinds.
1637-Sale of the Whole Susquehan- na River Valley to Clayborne.
I now set forth a very interesting
Indian sale of the lands forming a great part of what is now Lancaster county, and much other lands besides. In Vol. 3 of Maryland Archives, p. 66, we find, "The petition of Capt. Wm. Clayborne in behalf of himself and his partners," addressed to the . King.
This petition sets forth, "That by a commission under your Majesty's signature he "Clayborne" did discover and plant an island in the Bay of Chesapeake, called Kent Island,which the petitioners bought of the Kings of the country, where the same is and transplanted people on it, etc., etc .- and your petitioner desires a way by which the Crown may enjoy an annual benefit and they offer your Majesty 100 pounds per annum, viz .: 50 pounds for Isle of Kent, and 50 pounds for the plantations in the Susquehannocks' country, in consid- eration they to have there twelve- leagues of land, from the mouth of said river on each side thereof down to the Bay southeast to seaward and so to the head of said river to the great Lake of Canada, to be held in fee from the Crown of England to be paid yearly to his Majesty's Ex- chequer, and he has at the Indians' desire on S Susquehanna purchased the same from them, and hopes to draw the trade of beavers and furs which the French now wholly have and enjoy in the great lakes of Can- ada, to England."
As the English league is three stat- ute miles we readily see what a large strip of Territory the enterprising Clayborne bought from the Susque- hannocks-about 40 miles on each side of the Susquehanna and from the source to the mouth. This in- cluded all of Lancaster county ex- cept the northeast corner, besides much other lands. It extended fully to Gap, Christiana, Churchtown and
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Adamstown. It is historically impor- | and the bay, as is specified in a writ- tant, too, to notice that the fur trade ing then made and truly interpreted by this deponent verbatim to the King of the Susquehannocks, and he in turn signed, and in token and con- firmation of said gift the King did cut some trees on said land and did cause his people to clear the ground for said Clayborne to put corn in of the Susquehanna Valley was going northward instead of southward at this time-north to the French. Yet there is much history to show that the Susquehannocks were trading with the Swedes, or beginning to do so just about this time. Prior to this too, they traded with the Dutch. As that year, after which Clayborne did build houses on Palmer's Island." (More of this transaction and sale of Susquehanna Valley will be dis- cussed later). the Swedes came only in 1637, that trade with the Susquehannocks which Campanius talks about was just be- ginning. But it would seem natural that the Susquehannocks traded with 1638-Swedes Buy Land to Susque- hanna River from Indians. the Marylanders on the south more than with the French on the north. This was likely one of Clayborne's fabrications (to say . the trade was going all to the French) in order to induce King Charles I to grant his request. Clayborne was a great law- breaker and government defier, as we shall see later.
1637-Clayborne Offers Witnesses to Make Out His Case of Purchase.
In Vol. 5 of Maryland Archives, p. 231, Clayborne's evidence of his title appears in the deposition of Rob't Evelyn, whom we have hereto- fore seen, is quoted by Proud in Vol. 1, as the author of a description of Pennsylvania written
When the Swedes in 1638 settled on the Delaware, they renewed the friendly intercouse begun by the Dutch and purchased lands from the ruling tribes. This we have al- ready noticed citing from Campanius and Acrelius. But Dr. Shea cites Ha- zard's Annals p. 48. Turning to Ha- zard we find he says the Swedes pur- chased all the lands from Cape Hen- lopen to Trenton Falls and set up stakes and marks; that the original deeds for these lands with the In- dian marks were sent to Sweden and are preserved at Stockholm where they as well as a map were seen by Israel Helm and copy made of the map and brought over in 1697. He says the Indians previously had sold these lands to the Dutch. (In the next item we will show that the lands extended to the Susquehanna).
about 1646. This deposition is as follows: "This deponent having long lived with a na- tion of Indians called the Susquehan- nocks as an interpreter for Capt. Clayborne, doth rememebr that the people and King of the aforesaid na- tion of Indians did often invite said 1638-Swedes Contract with Susque- hannocks. Clayborne to come to them, which Clayborne and his people did, and About this time the Swedes came in- to contact with our Indians. We have just shown how they-encouraged them in use of guns, etc. In Acrelius' History of New Sweden, (which was the Swedish name of Pennsylvania) we are told p. 33 that Menewe's colony plant upon Palmer's Island. In April 1637, the King of the Susquehannocks did come with a great number of his Great Men and with all their con- trives did give to Clayborne Palmer's Island, with a great deal more land each side of the river Susquehanna | reached Delaware River in 1638 and
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that land , was bought from the In- dians from the mouth to the falls of the river Delaware and inland as far as their lands extended and that posts were driven into the ground to mark the lines; and page 47 it is said that this land 'bought in Mene- we's time' extended westward to the great falls in the river Susquehanna near the mouth of the Conewago Creek and that it was bought among others from the Minquas or Minqua Indians, whom the Jesuit Relations Vol. 8 p. 301 tells us were called by the Jesuits Andastas, by the Dutch Minquas and by the English Susque- hannas, or Conestogas. And page 48 in Acrelius it is stated that the land bought in Menewe's time 1638 extend- ed 93 miles in the interior, on the Conestoga and Susquehanna. This therefore will give a fair idea of when the Swedes met our Indians.
1638-Clayborne's Claims to Susque- hanna Valley and Kent Island Held Null and Void by England.
In Vol. 3 of Maryland Archives, p. 71, we find it recorded, "Before the Lords Commissioners of Plantations atWhitehall,Eng.,"Whereas a petition was presented by William Clayborne on behalf of himself and his partners, setting forth that he discovered cer- tain islands on Kent and Palmer and bought certain lands from the Sus- quehannock Indians, and the petition alleging great charges and expenses, and they likewise having settled the
other lands, aforesaid, upon the mouth of a River at the bottom head of the Bay in the Susquehannough country and that said Lord Baltimore agents sought to dispossess them and him and did great injury to his,Clay- borne's trade-and all parties attend- ing this day with counsel and it ap- pearing the same was partly in said Lord Baltimore's patent and that
Clayborne's power and grant is only to trade under the signet of Scot- land and it appearing this same con- troversy was up before this Board in 1633 and Lord Baltimore left to en- joy his patent rights, therefore it is decided that the said Clayborne has no title to the same and cannot be redressed against the proceedings of said Lord Baltimore." Therefore his purchase from the Susquehannock King and Great Man could not avail him anything.
1638-A Susquehannock Baptized.
The next item is of a far different nature. Under the date of 1646, it is set out in Vol. 30, p. 85, of the Jesuit Relations, that "Eight years ago (1638) we had here baptized an An- daste (Susquehannock), one of the Huron language, who were in Virginia where the English have their trade. After that time this man having re- turned to his own country it was supposed his faith was stifled in the midst of the impiety which prevails there. This year we learned from a Huron who returned from that coun- try that the faith of the man is as strong as ever. that he makes public confession and continues in his duty as much as if he lived among Chris- tian people."
This speaks well for the tenacity of the Susquehannock to the religious principles when they are taught to him. Little items like these give us an insight into the other side of the character of these savage people of our great River 270 years ago.
1638-Indian Paths from Susque- hanna to Delaware.
I put this item under the date of 1638 because the subject of it likely became a fact during the first years that the Swedes entered into Pennsy- ivania, which was about 1538. In Vol. 3 of Memoirs of Historical Society
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part 2, page 131, found in the His- torical Society Library, Philadelphia, under the head of "Indian Treaties for Lands now the Site of Philadel- phia," by Watson, of Watson's An- nals, it is said that in 1638 a line and diagram were made of an Indian treaty, and that the line surveyed "goes in a direct line from Philadel- phia to a spot on the Susquehanna about three miles above the mouth of the Conestoga Creek, near a spot marked 'Fort Demolished' The line crosses two Indian paths running each northwest, the first at 15 miles from Philadelphia at 'Rocky Run,' the other 38 miles distant near a 'rivu- let two miles beyond Doe Run."
I quote this because it is the earli- est mention of the location of any road or path in Pennsylvania; and the path leads towards Susquehanna. It also confirms the existence and the location of the "Fort" on the Susque- hanna, which is somewhat mooted. I shall have occasion to insert a part of this article again under a later date for another purpose. I cite it un- der this date for the purpose of call- ing attention to the location of the two Indian roads and likely of the 'Fort' at this date viz .: 1638. If the fort and the paths were facts at that date, then too certain facts of Susquehannock trade and war are al- so evidenced.
1638-Map of New Sweden at This Time.
In the Maryland Building at the Jamestown Exposition I saw a map of "New Sweden 1638 to 1655." This map shows the line marking the northern line of the lands purchased by the Swedes from the Susquehan- nocks and other Indians in 1638, which line runs through the latitude of the Philadelphia, or as it is mark- ed, through the mouth of the Schuyl- kill; then the line of the purchase of
1642 is also marked many miles far- ther north, but also running east and west, about the latitude of Easton. This gives additional light upon the claims and pretensions of the Susque- hannocks at this time. Both lines extend to and over the Susquehanna, from the Delaware.
1638-Susquehannock Customs About This Time.
I now jot down an item as to cer- tain Susquehannock customs found by the Swedes when they came among them in 1638. Campanius tells us of this in his history of New Sweden, p. 121, and while what he relates there of itself does not prove that he is speaking of the Susquehannocks dis- tinguished from other Indians-other parts of the text read with it show it to be so. A little portion of this I have written before but I set it down more fully now. He says, "They make bread out of the maize or In- dian corn which they prepare in a manner peculiar to themselves; they crush the grain between two stones or on a large piece of wood; they moisten it with water and make it in- to small cakes which they wrap up in corn leaves and bake them in the ashes. They can fast for many days when necessity compels them. When the are traveling or lying in wait for their enemies they take with them a kind of bread made of Indian corn and tobacco juice which is very good to allay hunger and quench thirst in case they have nothing else at hand. When the Swedes first arrived the Indians were in the habit of cat- ing human flesh and they generally ate that of their enemies after boil- ing it, which can easily be proved. My father related to me that Indians once invited a Swede to go with him to their habitation in the woods; when they arrived they treated him to the best in the house and pressed
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him to eat, which he did. Their en- tertainment was sumptuous. There was broiled and boiled and even hash- ed meat; but it seems it did not agree with his stomach. Afterwards they left him know that he had eat- en of the flesh of an Indian of a neighboring tribe with whom they were at war. Their drink before the Christians came was only fresh water; but now they are fond of strong liquors. Both men and women smoke tobacco, which grows in great abundance in their country."
1638-Trouble With the Indians- More Light Upon Clay- borne's Proceed-
ings.
1638-9 Act to put Maryland in state of defense against the Susque- hannocks and other northern Indians. (Act for Military discipline).
Be it enacted, etc., that every house- keeper within this province shall have ready continually upon all oc- casions within his, her or their
houses for him or themselves and for every person within his or their house able to bear arms one service- able fixed gunne, of bastard musket bore-one pair bandaleers or shott bag, one pound of good powder-four pounds of pistol or musket shott and a sufficient quantity of match for matchlocks and of flint for firelocks and before Christmas next shall also find a sword and belt for every such person aforesaid; that it shall be for the Captain of St. Mary's of the Isle of Kent once in every month to demand of every dwelling house a sight or view of said arms and ammu- nition and to certify default to the commander who shall amerce the parties in such paine as the default deserves not to exceed 30 pounds of tobacco for one default; and the cap- tain shall forthwith supply the part- ies deficient with all necessary arms
and ammunition as aforesaid pointed.
And upon any alarm every house- holder having three or more in the house able to bear arms shall send one man armed for every such three; and two men for every five to such place as shall be appointed; and all householders delaying to send the
men aforesaid shall be fined, etc. Here we see in what terror those Susquehannocks were held. Vol. 1, Maryland Archives pp. 77 and 78.
1639 - Susquehannocks Angered at Maryland.
Bozman in his history of Maryland page 161, says "The Susquehannocks who have been represented as the boldest and most warlike of all the Indians now engaged in hostilities against our colonies. This warfare with them was brought on our colon- ists by their endeavors to stay the incursions of the Susquehannocks against the peaceful and friendly tribes of Piscataway and Patuxent and others with whom the Susque- hannocks never ceased to wage unin- terrupted war ever since the first settlement of Maryland."
1639-Maryland Sends Armed Force Against the Sus- quehannocks.
It now became necessary for Mary- land to send the first armed force against the Susquehannocks. This effort is set forth in Bozman's Mary- land, pp. 162 and 3 as follows: "By the Lieutenant Governor and Council May 28, 1639-Whereas it is necessary forthwith to make an expedition, up- on the Indians of the East shore, at the public charge of the Province, it is thought fit to send a shallop, and to provide twenty corslets or suits of light armor-a barrel of powder- four roundlets of shot per man-a barrel of oatmeal-three firkins of
ap-
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
butter-four cases of hot waters (whiskey)-and necessary provisions to be made for the men and a pinnacle be pressed to go to Kent victualled and manned and it be provided with four hogsheads of meal; and a pin- nacle be sent against the Susquehan- nocks, sufficiently victualled and manned, and thirty or more good shott (marksmen) with gunn or pis- tols, with necessary officers be press- ed out of the Province and that each of the shott (marksmen) be allowed at the rate of 100 pounds of tobacco per month or another man in his room at home to attend to his plan- tation; and two sergeants double said rate and that victuals and other nec- essary accomodations for said soldiers and all others which shall go as vol- unteers be made and provided and two pinnacles and a skiff be pressed and fitted for transporting and land- ing of said companies and that good laboring hands be pressed to supply the place of planters, gone on the expedition."
At the same time a law was passed to put Maryland in a state of de- fense, see laws of 1638, Chap. 2, Sec. 8, where the same may be found. Al- so refer to first and second para- graph above.
Evans in his history of Lancaster County, page 11, says of this expe- dition: "The Susquehannocks having continued to give the Pilgrim settlers of St. Mary's a great deal of trouble the Council resolved to invade that country in 1639, namely the east- ern shore of the Bay. An expedition was planned against them but was abandoned upon receipt of intelli- gence that the Susquehannocks were supplied with firearms. The Indians of that tribe continued to harass the settlers and we are not aware a suc- cessful resistance was made against them or their country along the
Susquehanna by the Marylanders; but the fire in the rear from the Iro- quois became so hot that the Susque- hannocks concluded to form an al- liance with the whites."
1640-Another Witness for Clay- borne's Title.
The records of this year give us more light upon Clayborne's proceed- ings in the Susquehanna Valley and at the mouth of the river. In Vol. 5, Maryland Archives, p. 188, something is told us about the trial of Clay- borne's title to these lands. A wit- ness soon after Clayborne's departure for England, persuaded the governor of Maryland to go to Susquehanna, and that there the said Evelyn did lend or give out of the fort at the Isle of Kent to the governor a small piece of ordinance to go against the Island of Palmer where Clayborne had planted and the governor going there did displant the houses at Pal- mer's Island and carry away all the men, cattle and hogs into Maryland and that thereby by Clayborne has lost 1000 pounds sterling." And in the same book, p. 184, it is set out that "said Evelyn delivered to the governor of Maryland two pieces of Dutch cloth and other stuffe and powder and beavers with which the governor went up to the Susquehan- nocks and bought corn therewith, but would not deliver to Evelyn any of the corn, the planters standing in great need thereof." And also, page 234, under the same year (in same book) we find a witness says, "In the summer of 1637 this deponent, a ser- vant of Clayborne, was appointed by Clayborne with other men to plant Palmer's Island in the territory of the Susquehannocks, which island with other lands adjacent thereto the Kings of the Susquehannocks had granted to Clayborne, and that the governor of Maryland sent men and
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took it and the cattle, hogs and men."
The force of all this is, that the governor of Maryland, found it expe- dient to try to disaffect the Susque- hannock Indians from Clayborne be- for trying to disposses him from the Susquehanna River mouth and its is- lands. They were friends of Clay- borne, and the governor felt that the infant province was not strong enough to overthrow the combina- tion. So he even used some of Clay- borne's goods to take to the Susque- hannocks and buy then off-he bought corn from them which they were used to sell to Clayborne's planters, and in need of which they sorely stood so that he might weaken them by cutting off their source of prov- isions. This Palmer's island is a very interesting point today, from its his- torical associations-the seat of one of the earliest English settlements in this part of America, nearly as early as Plymouth-and but little over a score of years later than
Jamestown, and only about fifteen miles from the southern boundary of Lancaster county.
1640 And Later-The Susquehannock Rights and Possessions at This Time.
Creek." Evans also gives a more de- finite description of the bounds of the Susquehannocks' country than others. He says, at same page "The Susquehannocks had abandoned the Western Shore of Maryland before their conquest, and the English found it mostly derelict; the Confederates (Five Nations) confine their claim to the northward of a line drawn from Conewago Falls to the North Moun- tain where it crosses Potomac and thence by that chain of mountains to the James River" This explains why Smith found them pretty well up the Susquehanna River and a va- cant territory between them and the Powhatan Indians. But they (Susque- hannocks) did sally down into Mary- land and give them much trouble so that in May 1639 the Maryland gov- ernment resolved to invade their country (Johnson's History of Cecil Co., p. 16). The Confederates (Five Nations) claimed all the country east of the Susquehanna north of a line drawn from Trenton on the Dela- ware to mouth of Conewago Creek on Susquehanna they having whipped the the Lenape and such of the Susque- hannocks as were in that country and driven them south of that line -Evans' Analysis, p. 12. That is why the Swedes never succeeded in buy- ing lands farther north than that line, from these Indians. The purchase did not extend farther west than Susque- hanna because that was derelict. In later days of course the Five Nations conquered all the Susquehanna lands and we shall see that Penn was com- pelled to deal with these savages of the north, for this section of Pennsyl- vania, for that reason. Thus at the period of which we are writing, about 1640, the Susquehanna country In- dians had the Swedes to the east on the lower Delaware, from New Castle and Wilmington sites to the latitudes
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