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 4
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'We have seen on the authority of Acrelius and Campanius that about 1638 the Swedes brought the lands stretching from Delaware River to Susquehanna up to Conewago falls. Lewis Evans, who wrote in 1755 and earlier in his "Analysis of General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America" (printed by Franklin), also tells us about this purchase. Page 11 and 12 he says, "All from the sea to the falls at Trenton they had con- veyed to Peter Menevet, Commandant under Christina, Queen of Sweden. The boundary extended thence west- ward to the Great Falls of Susque- hanna, near the mouth of Conewago lof Philadelphia, and between them
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
some scattered Delawares-on the .south the Marylanders and Powhatan Indians-on the west open country (neutral) and on the north the Five Nations. They (the Susquehannocks) at this time traded with both the English on the south and the Swedes on the east. Clayborne had cheated and defrauded them most shamefully at the head of the Bay; and they turned to their new neighbors, the Swedes, on the east, for trade quite gladly, and were great friends with them.
1640-Swedish Trade With Susque- hannocks at This Time.
Campanius gives us the clearest ac- count of the trade between the Sus- quehannocks and the Swedes at this time. In his description of New Sweden, page 157, he says, "These Indians live a distance of 93 Eng- lish miles from New Sweden where they daily come to trade with us. The way to their lands is very bad, being stony, full of sharp gray stones with hills and morasses so that the Swedes when they went to them, which hap- pened once or twice a year, had to walk in the water up to their arm- pits. Thither they went with cloth, kettles, axes, hatchets, knives and mirrors and coral beads which they sold to them for beaver and other valuable skins and also for black foxes and fisher's skins, which is a kind of skin that looks like sable, but with longer and silvery hair, like some of the best sables, with beaver, velvet-black squirrel skins, etc. These precious furs are the principal ar- ticles which they have for sale. They live on a high mountain, very steep, and difficult to climb; but they have a fort or square building sur- rounded with palisades which they
reside in, as shown on page 123. There they have guns and small iron cannon which they shoot and defend
themselves with when they go to war." Acrelius, page 47, tells us al- so of this trade with the Swedes says these Indians that they live and ex- tend miles from New Sweden on the Susquehanna and Conestoga. And he also says that the roughness of the "road" by which they traded can still be seen by those who travel be- tween New Castle and Lancaster. Thus there is no mistake that this Swedish trade was with our Susque- hanna River Indians.
Some of the commodities playing a part in the trade Campanius forgets to mention. In a note page 148, Vol. 1, of Proud's History, quoting from Smith's History, who gives Thos. Budd as his authority, a speech of one of the Indian kings is given as follows, "The strong liquor was first sold to us by the Dutch: and they are blind; they had no eyes; they did not see that it was for our hurt. The next people that came among us were the Swedes, who continued the sale of these strong liquors to us; they were also blind; they had no eyes, they did not see it to be hurtful to give us drink; although we know it to be hurtful to us to drink it; but if people will sell it to us we are so in love with it that we cannot forbear it. When we drink it, it makes us mad; we do not know what we do; we then abuse one another; we throw each other into the fire. Seven score of our people have been killed by rea- son of the drinking," etc. This is a sad commentary on the beginning of American civilization, and a shame that the first pitiable protest should come from the savages. Acrelius' mention of the road is the earliest notice of a 'road' in Pennsylvania of which I have any knowledge. It likely lay through the northern Delaware swamps and then up along the east side of the Susquehanna River
That this boom in the Swedish trade
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began about this time is shown also in Vol. 5, Sec. 2, Pa. Arch., p. 78, where it is said, "The population did not experience any special impulse until the year 1639 when the fur trade with the Indians which had pre- viously been reserved to the company was thrown free to everybody; at which time the colonists spread them- selves far and wide," also "they sep- arated themselves from one another and settled far into the interior of the country the better to trade with the Indians." Do. p. 78. The Com- pany here referred to was Dutch.
1642-The Susquehannocks' Numeri- cal Strength-Their Progress in the Arts of War.
Scharf in his history of Maryland p. 140 gives the incident of Susque- hanna cruelty, which he fixes as hap- pening in 1642. He says, "A certain man, a Christian, while he was mak- ing his way with others through the woods, fell behind his companions a little when the savages of the tribe of Susquehannocks atacked him sud- denly from an ambuscade, and with a strong and light spear of locust
their wood from which they make at bows, with an iron point oblong the sides pierced him through the right side to the left at a hand's breath below the arm pit near the heart itself with a wound of two fin- gers broad at each side. From the ef- fects of this when the man had fallen his enemies fled with the utmost pre- cipitation; but his friends who had gone before recalled by the sudden noise and shout returned and carried the man from the land to the boat which was not far distant and thence to his home in Piscataway and left him speechless out of his sense." This is the verbatim description of this cruelty which Scharf gives, he himself quoting from Father White, a Jesuit who knows of it personally.
Susquehannoeks Declared Public Enemies.
1642. "These are to declare and publish that the Susquehannocks, Wicomeses and Nantocokes Indians are enemies of this province and as such are to be treated and proceeded against by all persons-Given at St. Mary's Sept., 13, 1642." Vol. 3 Md. Arch. p. 116.
Accordingly the same year Mary- land made up another expedition to go against the Susquehannocks. This is detailed as follows: "It shall be lawful for the Lieutenant General or Captain by him to make an expedition against the Susquehannocks or other Indians having committeed the late outrages against English, at such time and manner as he thinks fit and to take out of every county or hun- dred within the province the third man able to bear arms, such as he thinks fit and to go on the exepdi- tion, and every of which men shall be at the charge of the county, furnish- ed and provided with one fixed gunne, 2 lbs. powder, 8 lbs. pistol or bullet shott, 1 sword and 2 months provi- sions of victuals and shall be trans- ported to and from the expedition with vessels and all necessarys at like charge. And the expenses of the same shall be raised by a levy on the province for the charge of the men, vessels, ammunition and provisions and all perquisites arising from the levy shall be for the benefit of the province." Vol. 1, Maryland Archives p. 196.
1642-Extent of Swedish Land Pur- chased from the Susquehannocks.
The Swedes in a representation dated 1642 page 767 Vol. 5 of 2nd series Penna. Arch. set forth "This district may be in length about 30 German miles (which is over 100 English miles) but as to the width in the interior of the country it has
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been stipulated and decreed in the contracts that the subjects of her ma- jesty may take as much as they wish;" and on page 781 that all sub- jects of Sweden shall have "Liberty of Trading upon the river of the South (Delaware) and the interior cf the country as well with the savages as with the Christians, without any condition, etc."
Thus it is plain from the above that the Swedes had by far the lion's share of the trade with the Minquas or Susquehanna country Indians and as well with the various other tribes on the Delaware. I have thought this necessary to give a true history of the relations of these Minquas with the Europeans on the Delaware, lest it might be inferred that because of their distance inland they did not come nto constant contact with the civilization on Delaware, which of of course they did constantly. It will be noticed that as above describ- ed the Minqua Creek was so named not because the Minquas lived on it, but beyond it, as stated it extends up towards their lands. Along the Min- qua was their chief highway to go to the Delaware. They lived about the Susquehanna 20 miles or more from the head waters of the little Minqua-or as Acrelius puts it 93 miles from the Delaware. It is plain also that besides this route to the Delaware these Susquehannas some time went by way of Schuylkill, 10 to 20 miles from the mouth of the same they had a trading station with the Swedes. It is also plain that they were beaver trappers along the Schuylkill and the other streams of that locality. The amount of com- plaining of the Dutch too shows the trade was very profitable. Accord- ing to the speech of Cannassetego in Lancaster Court House, June 25th, 1744, the Indians of whom he spoke, cordially welcomed the Dutch when
they came among them over 100 years before to trade. 4 Col. Rec. 704.
1642-Second Expedition Against the Susquehannocks-Proclamation
by the Lieutenant General.
"Whereas the English were author- ized to kill any Indians about Patux- ent that should be met on etiher land or water, and certain expeditions were therein mentioned, I, now by reason of some accidents since hap- pening, wholly repeal and reverse the proclamation and prohibit upon pain of death that no English in the coun- ty of St. Mary's or any other part of the province do kill or shoot any Indians, other than such as shall be known to the Susquehannocks or Wicomeses, unless first assaulted or put in bodily fear of life by the In- dians. I also revoke the proclamation making Naulacogues enemies and de- clare a treaty of peace with them." This is found in Vol. 3, Maryland Archives p. 129, and it amply illus- trates the feeling in Maryland at this time against the Susquehannocks.
1642-Some Projected Expedition Against the Susquehan- nocks Abandoned.
In Vol. 3, Maryland Archives, p. 130, this further proclamation by the set Lieutenant General is forth: "Whereas by a proclamation dated January 31, on certain hopes then presumed upon of means to go on a march upon the Susquehannocks, I did declare to the province there would be an expedition set forth at his lordship's charge, which means being not yet found to answer my hopes, I think fit to advise further of the said expedition and therefore do annul the said proclamation and ob- ligations undertaken and all powers concerning the expedition, this 8th day of April."
We see by this item that while the I government of the province of Mary-
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land were determined to war on the Susquehannocks, the people gener- ally did not relish at all the idea of measuring arms with them.
1642-Serious Charge Against Lieu- tenant General Brent for Giving up the Expedition Against the Susquehannocks.
In Vol. 4, Maryland Archives, p. 128, under date of October 17, we have the following information against Giles Brent: "John Lewger, attorney for Lord Baltimore, informs the Court against Giles Brent that he hav- ing moved and propounded an enter- prise upon the Susquehannocks, the said Lieutenant General together with him, Mr. Brent, did resolve and con- clude upon the manner and means of it and that Brent should have a commission and raise men at Kent and all other necessaries for service and that it should be done at the county's charge, all of which Brent seems to think approve and accord- ingly undertook the moving of the men upon Kent and leading them out upon the service and he knew well what charge it would be and how important the honor and safety of the province was con- cerned in the managing and suc- cess of it and what a notable oppor- tunity was presented to the disadvan- tage of the enemy and disabling him to ever assault again, not to be hoped for at any other time, he, Brent, on arriving at Kent, under authority of a commission granted to Mr. Brenth- wait for command of that Island and taking disgust thereat or for disaffec- tion did not use or execute the mis- sion, but devising how to make the commission and design ineffectual with impunity and to give people oc- casion for refusing and disobeying it, did leave it to their consideration whether they were willing to be pressed or not and used words to
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signify that they would not be urged and pretending there were illegalities in his commission, yet later issued warrants for 20 soldiers, who came with arms and were ready, but re- ceiving some impression and expres- sion of their unwillingness he admit- ted thereof and of his own head dis- missed them and so let the whole en- terprise fail and fall to the ground, to the ill example and great damage and danger of all and it is prayed he may be compelled to answer for it."
Divested of all the legal verbiage in which this complaint is couched it means that Giles Brent, who was sent on the expedition against the Susquehannocks, when he reached Kent Island encouraged people to oppose it instead of trying to get them to join his forces and enlist, so that it cost the province much money and was a flat failure. The people it seems were afraid of the Susquehan- nock and would not hazard a fight with them.
1642-Failures of Expedition Against the Susquehannocks- Witnesses Against Brent and His Action.
In Vol. 4 Md. Arch. p. 138, we find the following: "Wm. Sudd says that in March he was appointed by Mr. Pulton to go in his pinnacle as skip- per and trader to the Susquehannas and by him appointed to have men at the lead of Kent for a voyage, and that he would write to Mr. Brent to assist him in it, and that at his com- ing to Kent with the knowledge and consent of Brent he hired John Petti- man to go upon the voyage and hired him for 200 pounds of tobacco a month, and accordingly Pettiman was out on the voyage two months and by that means and that by his means and pinnacle and the presence of the men, they were saved from destruc- tion by the Susquehannocks, which
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destruction Brent would have al- | Cornwaleys under punishment. April
lowed."
Against the Susquehannocks.
On Nov. 25, Giles Brent made an- swer to the information against him that it was not sufficient in law and also that he is not guilty of the charge laid against him therein; and the same time the Attorney Gen- eral files a criminal bill against him shirking his duty in not going upon the Susquehannocks and destroying them according to the command in his commission. See Vol. 4, Md. Arch. 151. In the end nothing came of the suit in court and council; and the net result of it all was the unexplain- ed failure to take the Susquehan- nocks.
1643-A Third Expedition Planned Against the Susquehannocks.
Another expedition planned against Susquehannocks, Capt. Cornwaleys to lead. In Vol. 3 Md. Arch. 131, we find the following commission; "Re- lying on your experience in martial affairs I appoint and authorize you to make an expidition against the Susquehannocks or other Indians who committed the outrages and took the three men, and you are au- thorized to take every third man fit to bear arms in the province and re- quire the counties to furnish them and to have them ready at such ren- dezous as you shall appoint and every such volunteer to command with cap- tains and with them a warre to make upon the Indians aforesaid (Susque- hannocks) in such manner and with such power and authority whatso- ever for the doing, commanding, ap- point of anything toward the expedi- tion or for vanquishing or spoiling the enemy or anything touching the said warre to have use and exercise the same in as ample a manner and effect as may be vested in a captain general in time of warre, and we re- quire all soldiers to obey you, Thomas
17, 1643, per Giles Brent, Lieut. Gen."
1643-Expedition Against the Susque- hannocks-Powers Given to Captain Cornwaleys.
In this year the following powers were granted by Maryland to Cornwaleys-Vol. 3, Maryland Arch- ives, p. 133 .- "Charles Cecelius Rex, greeting, to Thomas Cornwaleys, Esq. Whereas we are informed of your proposition and propenseness to go on a march upon the Susquehannocks and that several to a considerable number are willing and desirous to be led out by you, on such a march, upon certain conditions treated and agreed between you and them, we ap- prove very well of such your and their forwardness for the vindica- tion of the honor of God and the Christians, and the English name, up- on those barbarians and inhuman pa- gans-do hereby authorize you to levy such men as shall be willing to go, upon said march and to lead and conduct them against the Susquehan- nocks or other Indian enemies of this province in such time and manner as you think fit and to do all things for the training of the soldiers, fur- nishing of sustenance and other sup- plies, and to demand obedience and order the affairs, and provide officers as against martial enemies and dis- posing of the spoyle and all other things and matters whatsoever to the said expedition appurtaining in the manner and power as the captain general of any army can or may do in the time of warre."
Thus here we have another evi- dence of the continued trouble which the Susquehannocks were inflicting on the Marylanders. All this we have seen originated, because the whites of Maryland took sides with a few small tribes of Indians who were hereditary enemies of the Susquehan-
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nocks. Whether this expedition was in Maryland, as they have most sav- taken or not history dos not inform us. If it was there was evidently not any great punishment inflicted upon the Susquehannocks; and it is likely that the project was affected in a manner similar to the expedition of 1639, as Mr. Samuel Evans tells us in his History of Lancaster County, that is, that the Marylanders were faint of heart in the project. At any rate the following year an opportun- ity for concluding a possible peace presenting itself, the Marylanders very gladly tried to avail themselves of it. We shall now speak of it.
1644-Effort to Make Peace with the Susquehannocks.
Bozman, p. 275, introduces this sub- ject as follows: "Some proceedings now took place relative to a treaty expected to be held with the Susque- hannocks at the English fort or gar- rison at Piscataway. It seems they were begun in the absence of the governor. The Susquehannocks were expected at Piscataway either with serious intentions to enter into a cessation of hostilities, or sinister designs to inveigle the friendly Pisca- taways, and a commission was grant- ed to Henry Fleete." This action, in the absence of the governor, we shall see, aftrwards led to disputes in Maryland and the revocation of pow- ers granted, etc.
This commission to Fleete was as follows: "Cecelius, etc., to Captain Henry Fleete, greeting .- Whereas by certain intelligence from the Pisca- taways I understand that there was some number of our enemies, the Susquehannock Indians, expected about this time at Piscataway under color to treat and conclude a peace with them and us, but perhaps to confederate and unite all the Indians of these parts in some general league or plot for cutting off the English
agely attempted in Virginia (this must refer to the massacre planned and partly executed by Opechanca- nough in 1639. See Bozman, p. 275) ; and because it concerns the honor and safety of the colony to have some English there to be present at the treaty and other proceedings, to direct and overrule it if need be, to counsel and strengthen our friendship, and friends that yet remain and terrify the others and to proceed with the Susquehannock agents either in hos- tiliy or peace as there shall be most cause and reason for-I relying upon your skill in the language, and long conversation and experience in Indian affairs and your prudent and provi- dent circumspection otherwise, have made choice of you and do hereby will and require you to take with you a convenient strength of English well armed and provided to the number of twenty at least and with them repair to Piscataway and there proceed with the Indians, both friends and enemies, to such instructions as shall be de- livered to you by my secretary bear- ing date herewith, and to lead, order and command in chief all the said company as shall go with you, yea even to the inflicting of death upon mutinous persons, as a captain gen- eral may do by martial law. St. Mary's, June 18, 1644, per Giles Brent Esq." Sec. 3, Maryland Archives, p. 148, and Bozman, p. 275.
At the same time the following in- structions were given by John Lew- ger, Brent's secretary to Fleete: "You are to go with your company to Pisca- taway and there confer and consider by the best means yau may, what hope there is of a real and firm peace or truce with the Susquehan- nocks, whether it will be more to the honor and safety of the English to have a warre or a truce with them at present.
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2. If you find the best reasons to persuade them to peace you may en- ter into a treaty of peace with them and undertake to them in our names a truce or cessation of all acts of hostility on our part until such time as you shall agree upon, for expecta- tion of performance of conditions on their part, and of the governor's as- sent to peace, and give hostages or exchanges as you shall be willing. John Lewger, Secretary." This may be found in Vol. 3, Maryland Arch- ives, p. 149, and Bozman, p. 277.
At the same time passports to the Susquehannocks were given, to in- duce them freely to come and treat as follows: "Cecelius, etc., greeting- To all the inhabitants of the province known that I have promised and un- dertaken to the Indian bearer or bearers hereof of the Susquehannock Nation not exceding three, to repair in a good manner from the Susque- hannocks' forte and to my lieutenant general or some of my council at Kent or St. Mary's upon any public treaty message, safe and free passage to and fro through my province with- out any harm or molestation of any of the English, and therefore I re- quire all of every one of you upon sight hereof not to do anything to the violating of the public faith given unto them, upon the utmost peril of such punishment as by martial law may be inflicted upon the contemners or violators hereof. Given St. Mary's June 18, 1644." (See the same in Vol. 3, Maryland Archives, p. 150, and Bozman, p. 279.)
chiefs, who came to treat with the medals in their hands.
1644-Robert Evelyn's Estimates of of the Susquehannocks at This Time.
During four years, (about 1642 to 1646) Robert Evelyn lived among the Swedes and Dutch about Delaware, and with the English in Maryland and Virginia. About the latter year he wrote a letter, supposed to be to the Queen of Sweden, describing the Susquhannocks at this time and their country and ways. The letter is in- corporated into the "Description of New Albion" written about 1646,which we have referred to before. In this letter he says "On the Delaware I have resided several years. I do ac- count all the Indians to be about 800, and are in several factions and war against the Susquehannocks, and are all extreme fearful of a gun and are naked and unarmed against our shot, swords and pikes, and since my re- turn 18 Swedes are settled there and 46 Dutchmen in a boat trade without fear of them. From the Indians you may have two thousand bushels of corn at 12 pence a bushel. This let- ter may be seen in first Vol. Proud. p. 112. The description of New Albion, found in same place in Proud, then goes on and supplements what Eve- lyn said. The author says besides the 800 Indians mentioned by Evelyn there are 23 Kings in that section. Then it says, "The Susquehannas are not now of the naturals left above one hundred and ten, though with their forced auxiliaries the Ihon-a- Does and the Wycomeses they can make two hundred and fifty. These together are counted valiant and ter- rible to other cowardly dull Indians, which they beat with the fight of guns only. These last named tribes
The token which was given these Susquehannock Indians, as safe con- duct, was a medal of copper, with a black and yellow ribbon attached. And we shall see later that the Mary- land troops, in a dastardly way, thirty years later, broke the faith signified by the medals, and shot down five defenseless Susquehannock | the Susquehannas recently conquer-
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ed, which fact we have noted in prior articles. It seems that the Susque- hannocks had their 'New Town' about Conewaga on Susquehanna River be- fore 1648 (which by some writers is said to have been built later), for the last named authority says, "The Sus- quehannocks' new town is also a rare, healthy and rich place, with it a crystal broad river; but some falls below, hinder navigation."
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