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 7
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"An Acte impowering the Gover- nor and Council to rayse forces and mayntayne a warre without the pro- vince and to ayde the Susquehan- nough Indians.
"Whereas it doth appeare to this present General Assembly that this Province is in imminent danger by a warre begun in itt by some foreign Indians as it hath been made to ap- peare by credible information given of a person lately killed and of others that are probably cut off by these foreign Indians, and that in humane probability our neighbor Indians, the
by
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
Susquehannocks are a bullwarke and Security of the Northern parts of the Province and that by former treaties with that nation they have very much assured us of their affections and friendship. And that they ex- pected the like from us. And by their treaties it was agreed Assistance should be granted to each other in tyme of danger, And upon their sev- eral late applications to us to that purpose Ayde hath been promis (ed) them accordingly.
"It is enacted and be it enacted (by) the Lord Proprietary of this Province by and with the advice and consent of the Upper and Lower House of this present General As- sembly that the governor with the advice and consent of the council have power to leavy and rayse by presse or otherwise fifty able men with armes and Provisions and all things necessary for them to be sent to the Susquehannough Forte for the ends aforesaid. And the proportion of the said soldiers to be raysed out of the several countyes followeth- vizt: Out of the County of St. Mary's 11; out of Calvert county, 15; out of Charles county, 7; out of Anne Arun- del, 11; out of Kent, 3, with one in- terpreter, a Captaine and Chirurgeon, and for the paye of the officers and souldiers aforesaid to be proportioned as followeth until the souldiers re- turne-to the Commander in Chief 600 pounds of tobacco in caske per month; to the interpreter 600 pounds per month; to the lieutenant 400 pounds per month, to the sergeant, 300 pounds per month and to the Chirurgeon foure hundred per month and to every private souldier 250 pounds per month.
the Governor and Council are hereby impowered to leavy by way of as- sessment per pole according to the usual custome of this Province.
"And in the interval of Assemblys to rayse what forces they in their discretion shall think necessary against the Seneca nation of Indians or any other Indians that shall be found to have killed any of the in- habitants of this Province or that have or shall disturb the peace there- of. And the charges to be defrayed as aforesaid.
"This Acte to continue and be in force for two years or the next Gen- erall Assembly which shall first hap- pen."
"The Upper House Have Assented -Will Bretton, clerk.
"The Lower House Have Assented -John Gittings, clerk.
I cite this Act not alone for the provision it makes for support of the Susquehannocks ; but also for the many facts of history it sets out in the first paragraphs explaining the cause of the Act, viz .: the repeated applications made by them for help, showing the trouble they had with the northern tribes-the setting forth of the reciprocal arrangement the Whites and the Susquehannocks had -the fact that the treaties made with the savages were not merely playthings, and gala day meetings, but were of sufficient solemnity to require statutes to be passed to carry them out, and finally the hon- orable way in which the whites look- ed upon these Susquehannocks.
1661-Instructions to Captain Obder.
Prior we gave a copy of the com- mission to Obder, constituting him "And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid for the defray- ing of the charges of said warre and an officer to assist the Susquehan- nocks, in resisting the Five Nations. We now give their instructions all charges incident to with; That | which the government of Maryland
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gave to him, directing him how to | proceed, copied from Vol. 4, Mary- land Archives, pp. 417 and 418. They are as follows:
"1. You are to choose some fit place either within or without the Forte (Susquehanna Fort) which you are to fortify for your own se- curity and to demand the assistance of the Susquehannocks to fetch tim- ber and other necessaries for the fortifications according to the article now concluded between us and fur- ther to cause some spurs or flankers to be laid out for the defense of the Indian fort, whom you are upon all occasions to assist against the as- saults of their enemies.
"2. On arrival at the fort imme- diately press them to appoint some one or more of their great men to whom you shall make your applica- tions on all occasions, that is, either of demanding assistance to help for- tify or for provisions or upon any or- der received from us.
"3. Procure that certain persons be appointed who are to be messen- gers between you and us according to the articles and be sure to advise us of every accident of importance that shall befall you or the Susque- hannocks and of the proceedings of the affairs.
"4. You are carefully to inform yourself of the progress of the warre between the Susquehannock and Seneca Indians and if you find them lacking in it to press them discreet- ly to a vigorous prosecution of it.
5. "You are to avoid quarrels with the Susquehannocks and not to allow soldiers to sit or drink with them.
"6. Make diligent inquiries touch- ing the numbers of the women in Pat- apsco River, and of the motion of the companies of them.
"7. You are to have a very wary eye on all the Dutch that come to the Forte (Susquehannock Fort) ob-
serving their actions and treaties with the Indians but show not any animosity against them; if you find any close contrivances to our pre- judice give it notice."
Thus from this we see that Mary- land was suspicious of the Dutch who were now the owners of a good deal of southeastern
Pennsylvania, till 1644, when the English divested them of title. It is also noticeable that great care was always observed by Maryland that the Susquehannocks should not become suspicious of the help of the White Brethren of Mary- land.
1661-Various Fortunes of War Now Occupy Both Nations.
The Jesuit Fathers speaking of the scouting parties of the Susquehan- nocks say Vol. 47, Jesuit Relations, p. 71: "On Lake Ontario (The Great Lake of the Iroquois) we met three canoes from Onneirout, on their way to fight against the Nez Pierce In- dians. They told us that the Susque- hannocks (dwelling near New Swe- den) had recently killed on their fields three of the Orocouenhonnous (a tribe of the Five Nations)."
1661-The Jesuits are Pleased That Susquehannocks Hold Iroquois in Check.
The Jesuits appreciate very much the vigor of the Susquehannocks, as it is taking the pride out of the Iro- quois, who about this time because they had grown haughty over their victory over the Hurons and other tribes, had designs to fall upon the
French themselves. The Jesuits in Vol. 47, Jesuit Relations, p. 107, say : "We doubt not it is a stroke of Hea- ven that has very seasonable caused a division of forces and aroused up in our behalf the Andaste (Susque- hannocks) savages of warlike spirit and ever held in dread by the Upper Iroquois, against whom war is kind-
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ling in such strength that we have now against us only the Agnieron- nous (Mohawks) and Onneirounhon- nos, who form but a small part of the Iroquois."
We can find much original histori- cal matter in this last paragraph. It tells us that the Susquehannocks were regarded "of warlike spirit" by the Indians and the whites of the north- that the Upper Iroquois "ever held them in dread"-that they were pressing the war with such vigor that they made the whole Five Nations unable to attend to any other affairs, or to give attention to any other enemies than the Susquehannocks; and caused a division of the Iroquois forces.
1661-Susquehannocks Have Broken Up Seneca Fur Trade With New York.
The Susquehannocks single handed SO harassed the Iroquois and so planted themselves between them and New York that the peltry trade of the Sencas, one of the Five Nation or Iroquois tribes, was nearly cut off at the same time they were pro- secuting the war. The French work entitled "Relations de la Neuville France" for 1661, p. 40, says: "The Susquehannocks also kept the Sene- cas in such alarm that they no longer ventured to carry their peltry to New York except in caravans escort- ed by 600 men who even took a cir- cuitous route." This is another proof of what the Susquehannocks
were made of.
About this time
it
seems the Iroquois had the worst of the contest, as the Relations de la Neuville France for 1662 p. 11 say, "Smarting under constant defeat the Five Nations now solicited French aid." The same work for the year 1661 p. 39 says "In 1661 small pox broke out sweeping off many. War had now begun in earnest with
the Five Nations: and though the Susquehannocks had some of their people killed near their town (on Susquehanna) they in turn pressed the Cayugas so hard that some of them retreated across Lake Ontario to Canada."
1661-Susquehannocks Ungrateful to Maryland.
In spite of the fact that Maryland tried to befriend the Susquehannocks it would seem they did not greatly appreciate it. In the midst of their war, they found time to harass and kill whites surreptitiously. Vol. 3 Md. Arch. 413 gives us this account of this. "An information touching the death of four Englishmen killed in passage between Delaware Bay and Chesapeake by Indians-John Taylor says, one Easter Eve two Indians came to his house but he did not un- derstand their language, told them to go, he knowing of a murder commit- ted on Robt. Gorsuch's wife. So they left. Next day they came with seven more and one woman who coming near his landing shot off a gun to give notice. They asked him for tobacco and he gave it to them and on sight of another canoe of Indians he told them to be gone. The Indians shot another man and plundered his house and tobacco house of 1000 pounds to- bacco. They also killed eleven head of cattle and twenty hogs. Meeting certain other Indans he asked who the others were and they said they were all Susquehannocks.
Nevertheless the heaviest cam- paigns of the Susquehannock-Iro- quois War were yet to come, and for mutual help the Maryland and the Susquehannocks entered into a new treaty of peace.
1661-A New Treaty of Amity Be- tween the Susquehannocks and Maryland.
The rough surgery which the Five
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Nations were practicing on the Sus- quehannocks made them again turn to Maryland, though single handed up to this time they held their own against the confederated savages of the north. A treaty was made ac- cordingly May 16, 1661, by the Sus- quehannocks with Maryland as fol- lows:
1. It is mutually agreed that we shall according to our former agree- ments mutually assist one the other against the enemies of either nation upon timely notice given to each by the other.
2. That such Indian men who are prisoners and shall happen to be ta- ken in war shall be delivered to the English, as well such as have been killed as others.
3. That the English shall send up to Susquehanna Fort fifty men to help defend the fort.
4. That the Susquehannocks shall permit the captain of the English sol- diers to choose a place either within or without the fort to fortify himself in, and that the Susquehannocks shall help him to fetch logs or other materials or timber for the fortifica- tion.
5. That the Susquehannocks shall find the English soldiers with suffi- cient fish and flesh and bread ready beaten.
6. That there shall be six Indians appointed by the Susquehannocks to be ready to carry letters between the captain of the English at the Fort and Colonel Utyes' house, and from thence to the Fort, to which end two of them shall always be upon Pal- mer's Island.
or Jacob Clauson, from whence they shall have tickets if they have occa- sion to come freely among the Eng- lish plantations; and if by enemies they be driven among the English they shall be found to halloo before they come near any English house, and upon the appearance of the Eng- lish they shall immedately lay down their arms, to be in the English pos- session till they depart.
8. That the Susquehannocks shall send all runaways of the English down to Captain Thomas Stockett im- mediately after arrival at the Fort.
9. That the English having now declared that they will demand satis- faction of the Possegouke (northern) Indians for the death of John Nordon and his companions slayn (slain) by the aforesaid Indians, and upon de- cision to prosecute a war with them the Susquehannocks shall upon fur- ther notice given be ready to assist in the said war with necessary force, which the said English will prose- cute upon the said northern Indians."
This treaty may be found in Vol. 3, Maryland Archives, p. 420, and is signed by the English emissaries, and by the following Susquehannock Indian chiefs: Dahadaghesa, Sara- wgarora, Andra-Souque, Waskanec- qua, Saraquendelt, Karagarago and. Wadonbago, dated May 21, 1661, the day it was concluded, the conference having lasted five days.
This treaty was made pursuant to the Act of Assembly May 2, 1661, to which we have called attention as well as have set out a verbatim copy thereof; and under and by virtue of both Colonel Obder was given the commission and instructions we have noted before. But while they were in sore need of help from the Whites the Susquehannocks seemed not to appreciate it; or at least were too haughty to do the menial work the
7. That to prevent mischiefs and misunderstandings and not distin- guishing the Susquehannock Indians the Susquehannocks shall not come ordinarily to any other house but to the house of Captain Thomas Stockett | English soldiers required of them in
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
helping to build the fortifications to strengthen the Susquehanna Fort.
1661-The Susquehannocks do not Appreciate English Help in War.
Captain Obder gives this account of his attempt to help the Susquehan- nocks under the provisions of the above Act of Assembly and Treaty.
"November 27 Captain Obder came to give account of this expedition to the Susquehannock Fort and was asked why he came down from the Fort without order from the Gover- nor. He said that the Susquehan- nocks came to him and told him that they could not compel their men to furnish the soldiers with provisions according to the article; and there- fore bid them provide themselves and be gone tomorrow in the cances that were provided to carry the ammuni- tion to them. He said he had left all the arms with Mr. Lloyd except one gun at Jacob's, and the arms of every soldier were carried home to be de- livered to the owners thereof from whom they received then. This an- swer not having satisfied the informa- tion of the Lieutenant Governor, he was ordered to give account in writ- ing of his proceedings with the Sus- quehannocks by next council. See Maryland Archives, Vol. 3, p. 434.
Nov. 28 Captain Obder was called to give account in writing according to the former order but he appeared not. Then was called John Everett to answer his contempt in running away from his colors when pressed to go to the Susquehanna Fort, and he pleads that he cannot bear arms for his conscience sake; and it is or- dered that he be tried at the next court. Vol. 3, Maryland Archives, p. 441.
["Ordered that Messrs.Ed. Lloyd, John Bateman, Col. Wm. Evans et al draw up an Act empowering the Governor and Council in the interval between this and next Assembly to raise forces they find necessary to ayde the Sus- quehannocks against the Senecas, that have lately killed some English- men in Patapsco River, and that the expense be raised by an assessment, and in Vol. 3, Maryland Archives, p. 411, it is said that on consideration of the Act passed to ayde the Sus- quehannocks it was decided to send John Obder with an army of fifty men."
Thus this expedition and design to help the Susquehannocks in their great war, though they desired a treaty on the subject, was the same as several former efforts by the Whites to help them, and to deal with them, a failure. In following items we shall notice further efforts and also take up the weary progress of the war.
1662-Susquehannocks Blockaded in Their Fort.
Page 347, Hazard Annals, is set forth one of Alricks papers, "When I arrived on May 31st at New Amstel (1662) I perceived there a great change; all were jointly engaged to repair the Fort as the Minquas were blocked in their Fort by the Senecas being about 800 strong. When the Senecas ap- proached three or four men were dis- patched to the Fort with the offer of peace while their force remained at a distance; but a Minqua returning from hunting discovered the Senecas so that next day, they from the Fort concluded to meet them with 20 or 30 men when the Minquas at the same time with their force made an attack drove the Senecas to flight and pursued them for two days re- taking 10 persons and 10 men killed
The reasons for the drawing the Act to aid the Susquehannocks and who drew it and the necessity for a treaty are set forth in Vol. 1, Mary- land Archives, p. 400, as follows: if we can depend on two Minquas
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who arrived at New Amstel on the 2nd, inst." This is verbatim from the Alrick papers dated June 2, 1663.
1662-The Great Susquehannock-Iro- quois War-Iroquois Expedition Down Susquehanna River.
Formerly we showed how this war began in 1652, and progressed in a desultory way on toward 1660
The principal campaign of the War was in 1662; and indeed it is the only campaign of which historians tell us anything definitely. The best ac- count of its chief event, and to my mind the most reliable one, is that set forth in Vol. 48 of the Jesuit Re- lations p. 75 written practically con- temporaneous with the event. The description is dated 1662 and is set forth as follows: "Last year two tribes of the Iroquois formed an ex- pedition to go and lie in ambush for the upper Algonquins. For this pur- pose they set out early in 1662. But the Iroquois, who had never learned to run away, would have been glad to do so at any time, for shafts were leveled upon them in every direction.
The other Iroquois nations had no better success in an expedition un- dertaken by them against the Andaste (Susquehannas) savages of New Swe- den, with whom War broke out some years ago (p. 77). Raising accordingly an army of 800 men they embarked on Lake Ontario toward the begin- ning of April last, and directed their course toward the extremity of the beautiful lake to a great river very much like our St. Lawrence, leading without rapids and without falls to the very gates of the village of An- daste or Andastogue. There our warriors arrived after journeying more than one hundred leagues on that beautiful river. Camping in the most advantageous position they pre- pared to make a general assault plan- ning, as is their wont, to sack the tell of this expedition,
whole village and return home at the earliest moment loaded with glory and with captives.
But they saw that this village was defended on one side by the stream on whose banks it was situated, and on the opposite by a double curtain of large trees flanked by bastions, erected on the European manner, and being supplied with some pieces of ar- tillery. Surprised at finding defenses so well planned the Iroquois abandon- ed the projected assult, and after some light skirmishing resorted to their customary subtility, in order to gain by trickery what they could not accomplish by force. Making thin overtures for a parley they offered to enter the besieged town to the num- ber twenty-five, partly to treat for peace, as they declared, and partly to buy provisions for their return jour- ney. The gates were opened for them and they went in; but were im- mediately seized, and without further delay made to mount a scaffold or scaffolds, where in sight of their own army they were burned alive. The Andaste by this declaring war more hotly than ever gave the Iroquois to understand that this was merely the prelude to what they were going to do in the latter's country, and that the Iroquos had only to go back home as speedily as possible and prepare for siege or at least make ready to see their fields laid waste.
The Iroquois, more humiliated by this insult than can be imagined, dis- banded and prepared to adopt the de- fensive. They had hitherto borne their arms in victory through all these regions. But what are they to do now? And besides small pox-an American pest-had wrought sad ha- voc in their villages."
The Dauphin County Archaelogo- ists, in their pamphlet cited before, which they
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ANNALS OF THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS AND
mistakenly fix as 1663, instead of the correct year, 1662, page 41, as fol- lows: "In April, 1663, the western cantons raised an army of 800 men to invest and storm the Susquehanna fort. This fort was erected about 20 miles from the mouth of the River, the enemy embarking on Lake On- tario, according to the French ac- count, and then went overland to the Susquehannocks. On reaching the fort however they found it well de- fended on the river side and on the land side with two bastions in Euro- pean style, with cannon mounted, connected by a double guard of large trees. After some skirmishing the Iroquois resorted to strategy. They sent a party in to ask for peace and the Susquehannocks burned them be- fore their eyes. The force of the Iro- quois was about 1600 while the Sus- quehannocks had in their fort only 100 men. On the retreat of the Iro- quois the Susquehannocks pursued them with considerable slaughter."
1662-The Susquehannocks Now Con- tend Against War and Small Pox.
On the 20th Feb., 1662, Beekman writes: "The Senecas and Minquas are still at war. The savages on the river too are in, this winter as they did not go on hunting as usual which causes nearly a stagnation in trade." (Haz. Annals, p. 330). A month or two before the last writing the same writer wrote: "Many of the Minquas (Susquehannocks) died lately by the small pox. They are nearly besieged by the Senecas, which caused a de- cline in our trade with them. I was informed that the Senecas killed an- other savage not far from that place but a little above it where the Swe- dish concentration is made". Haz. Annals, p. 329. Nov. 27, 1662, Beek- man writes to Governor Stuyvesant: "On the 3rd arrived three Susque- hannock chiefs with their suite. Sup-
posing that they had something to communicate respecting the late murders, we requested the presence of the Swedish commissary. The chiefs bitterly complained that on our in- formation and complaints they dis- covered the murders were committed by a young Seneca residing among
them. And these Susquehannock chiefs further say that as long as the Christians have resided here it can never be proved that any of the Susquehannocks have in any manner injured or offended them; on the con- trary they have showed them every mark of friendship and were always willing and cheerfully employed in reconciling differences between them and the other savages. They said about three years ago one of their nation was murdered by the Chris- tians near New Amstel (now New Castle; see p. 206), which they did not resent. These Susquehannock chiefs also expected ere long to their assistance about 800 Swedish Min- quas (Pennsylvania Susquehannocks) of whom about 200 had arrived, so that next spring they were resolved to make war with the Senecas and go and visit the forest, whereof they solicited the Christians to provide them with ammunition of war when- ever they paid for it." (Haz. Annals, pp. 341 and 342). This last state- ment about the Susquehannocks go- ing to make war on the Senecas simply means that the Susquehan- nocks had now determined to take the offensive, so heretofore they were mainly on the defensive.
1662-Maryland Again Favors an Act of Assembly Helping Susque- hannocks.
In Vol. 1 of Maryland Archives, p. 428, it is set out that in 1662, "Up- on reading the Act empowering the Government to aid the Susquehan- nocks to maintain a war, now expir-
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ed it was put to question whether it was fit to move the lower house to consent to a new Act empowering the Governor and Council to raise forces to maintain a war without the province for some determinate time, and it was resolved that the lower house do agree with the upper house in such an Act and that an Act be passed to encourage soldiers by pen- sion who shall volunteer and adven- ture in defense of their country."
1663-The Tide of War is Now Favor- able to the Susquehannocks.
The campaign of 1662 in the Sus- quehannock-Iroquois war was on the whole favorable to the Susquehan- nocks. Especially were the Iroquois disheartened by the fate of their ex- pedition down the Susquehanna of 800 warriors, of whom 25 were burn- ed alive in the Susquehannocks' fort. Thus one large "branch of the Iro- quois (the Sonnadauchonnoas) the farthest nation from the east, ask for peace with the French in order to make head against the Susquehan- nocks, those savages of New Sweden who are very warlike and better than any other to exterminate the Iroquois. In order to secure them- selves against so remarkable an enemy they ask the French to come in large numbers and settle among them, the Iroquois. They also ask for black gowns, so as to appear peaceful, etc." See Vol. 49, Jesuit Relations, p. 141.
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