USA > Pennsylvania > The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. IX > Part 76
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15. A board of auditors shall be chosen annually, to consist, of three members, one of whom shall be ap- pointed by the Select Council, from their body, another by the Common Council from their body, and the third by the directors of the Girard trusts out of their own .body: it shall be their duty, to compare accounts with receipts, and satisfy themselves that the work or materi- al for which payment may have been made, was actual- ly done, furnished, and used for purposes under some one of the Girard trusts, and they shall not pass any item of account unless satisfied thereof.
With these propositions the committee submit the fol- lowing resolution:
Resolved, that the committee on the Girard Trusts
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1832.]
be and they are hereby directed to prepare and report an ordinance or ordinances embracing the propositions or principles above enumerated.
The following communication from the Executors of the late Stepben Girard, was received and laid on the table.
To the Select and Common Councils of the City of Phila- delphia.
The undersigned having been advised, that such laws have been passed by the General Assembly of Pennsyl- vania, as are satisfactory to the constituted authorities of the city of Philadelphia, to enable them to execute the trusts and duties created and enjoined by the will of the late Stephen Girard, respectfully make known to the Seleet and Common Councils of the said city, that they are about to pay into the State Treasury, the sum of three hundred thousand dollars, bequeathed by the said Stephen Girard to the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania, for the purposes of internal improvement by ca- nal navigation.
TIMOTHY PAXSON, THOS. P. COPE. JOSEPH ROBERTS, W. J. DUANE, JOHN A. BARCLAY,
Executors of Stephen Girard. Philadelphia, April 19, 1832.
When the resolution offered by Mr. Moss in the Com- mon Couneil came up for consideration, Mr. Johnson moved to postpone it for the purpose of introducing the following as a substitute.
Resolved, that the Girard Committee be instructed to consider and report at the next stated meeting, whether any,and ifany what measures are necessary and proper to be taken by the City Councils, in relation to the square of ground between Eleventh and Twelfth, and High and Chesnut streets, and that they have authority to confer with the Executors of the late S. Girard, Esq. on this subject.
When, on motion of Mr. GROVES, they were both postponed for the present.
COMMON COUNCIL .- Mr. J. PaICE WETRERILL presented a communication from Messrs. Charles Hum- phreys & Co. which was referred to the Committee of the wharves on Schuylkill.
Mr. OKIE presented a petitinn praying that Broad street from Walnut street to Cedar street be paved and curbed, which was referred to the Paving Committee.
The following letter from the County Commissioners was received, and referred to the Committee on Inde- pendence Square.
To the President and Members of the Select and Common Councils of the city of Philadelphia.
The County Commissioners are about making some improvements in the cellars of the fire proof buildings, to afford more room and convenience to public offiees; and as a passage in front, to afford light and a eonve- nient intercourse, will be necessary, the commission- ers deem it proper and respectful to give notice to Councils, in order that their approbation may be obtain- ed as to the front entrance.
All of which is respectfully submitted, by your obe- nient serrants,
JOHN THOMPSON, DANL. THOMAS, THOMAS MAGUIRE, County Commissioners.
The annexed communication and resolution from the Presidents of Couneils relative to the Cholera Morbus, were received and adopted.
The l'residents of the Select and Common Councils, to whom was referred the communication from Benja- min C. Howard, Esq. of the House of Representatives
of the United States, and accompanying documents on the subject of the Cholera Morbus, report:
That they had one or more interviews with a Commit- tee of the Board of Health of this eity, and believe that that body has made such application to Congress and will adopt and enforce such measures as the emergen- ey of the case requires, and offer the following resolu- tion-
Resolved, that the Presidents of Councils be discharg- ed from the further consideration of the subjeet.
Mr. Moss offered the following resolution which was passed by the Common Couneil.
Resolved, by the Seleet and Common Couneils, &c. that the executors of Stephen Girard be authorized to purchase lumber for the houses to be ereeted on the square between High and Chesnut, and Eleventh and Twelfth streets, in compliance with the will of the late Stephen Girard.
Mr. WETHERILL offered the following resolution which was laid on the table.
That the executors of the late Stephen Girard be au- thorized and requested in their capacity as executors, to cause the square of ground between High and Ches- nut street, Eleventh and Twelfth streets, to be built up- on and improved agreeably to the plan and arrange- ment of the testator; to employ and compensate all suit- able agents, to fulfil all contracts made by the testator for improving said square, and to make, contraets for work and materials which have not been contracted for by the testator for said improvements, and to pay for the same out of the funds that may be in their hands as executors; and that the reecipts which they shall ob- tain for all payments made by them in the prosecution of the said improvements, shall be accepted by the Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of Philadelphia, as a part, to the amount of said receipt, of the residuary estate devised and bequeathed by the said testator, to said Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of Philadelphia.
Mr. SEXTON begged leave to be exeused from serving on the committee to visit the lands of the late Stephen- Girard in Schuylkill county, and Mr. Coryell was ap- pointed in his place.
The following piece of pleasantry, records a fact re- lating to the commencement of the Permanent Bridge, which it may be well to preserve.
EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF A CITIZEN.
OCTOBER 18, 1800 .- Went to the Schuylkill at 4 P. M. to witness the ceremony of laying the first stone of the Bridge, proposed to be thrown over that river at the west end of High street; the Mayor und several mem- bers of the City Councils, and the President and Direet- ors of the incorporated company, who have the work in hand, attended. A cold collation was provided, of which about 70 persons partook, in the old brick ferry- house, which now stands in the centre of the street- about 200 of the workmen and others, had a table spread in the open air, over which they made them- selves very merry. It was a lucky circumstance for them, that a rain which had prevailed the previous part of the day, ceased a short time before they sat down. It was in the midst of such another storm that I went, officially, to this same spot, last spring, to make a for- mal delivery of the seite, on the part of the city, to Judge Peters, President of the Bridge company.
Jno. Lewis, the stone mason, conducted me into the pit for the eastern abutment, where the corner stone was prepared, and waiting for the ceremony, to show me the inseription which he had eut on it. The inscrip- tion is "T. F. C. S. O. T. S. P. B. W. L. October
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XVIII. MDCCC." Should this stone ever witness a resurrection to day-light, it will doubtless afford rich food for the antiquarians of that period. Many a shrewd debate and learned hypothesis will doubtless ensue. T, being the initial of Tammany, will signify that sa- vage saint. F, stands for feast all the world over. C, every one will acknowledge, stands for council. S, will be for savages. O, of course, is for brother Onas, that is Wm. Penn. T, must be for tribes. S, it will be quite natural to suppose, means Schuylkill. P, will be Phila- delphia. B, is the first letter of bridge, and as there must needs be water where a bridge is, W, will repre- sent that, and where great folks are, there will be lords- L, must consequently stand for lords. The interpre- tation of the whole will then be simple enough.
Tammany, the Columbian Saint, in his wisdom, held a Feast, and caused a great Council, consisting of divers white men and
Savages, to be convened, to which he invited his brother
Onas, who was fond of mush and molasses, and was, more- over, prince of the
Tribes dwelling on the goodly stream called Schuylkill, whose waters flow on the western side of Philadelphia, and theo, and there, St. Tammany did erect this Bridge, with his own hands, and placed it across the
Waters, amidst the shouts and whoops and yells of the great Lords of the Province of Pennsylvania.
- Few of even the most sagacious of the brotherhood of - our after philosophers, will conjecture the true meaning of the inscription, which is simply " This First Corner Stone Of The Schuylkill Permanent Bridge Was Laid October 18, 1800." On receiving this explanation I asked Lewis how he could suppose after ages would be able to discover the true interpretation of his inscription; assuming a very grave countenance he answered empha- tically-" Why, sir, by the time that they'll dig up that stone, the people will be much more larned than you and I be."
From the Blairsville Record. SKETCHES, No. VI. Of the Life, and Military and Hunting Adventures of CAPTAIN SAMUEL BRADY.
(Continued from page 238.)
In No. I. of these sketches, 'it has been stated that Captain John Brady, the father of Captain Samuel, had been wounded at the battle of Brandywine; that his son John was also wounded there, (who was but a lad of sixteen, at the time,) and that, in consequence of their wounds, both had permission to return to their home, which was on the west branch of the Susquehanna. It was further stated, that Captain John Brady and one of his sons were killed by the Indians, soon after Samuel had left home for Bedford or Pittsburg.
Although not immediately connected with the person- al adventures of Captain Samuel Brady, I propose gi- ving a sketch of events on the Susquehanna, prior and up to the death of his father and brother.
Those who read these sketches may perceive, from the nature and antiquity, that they are compiled from their statements, oral and written, of persons acquainted with the facts disclosed, either personally or by hearsay. Allowance will be made, therefore, for the want of chronological order, observable throughout: seeing that I am dependent on different persons, residing in different parts of our country, for what I have been able
to put forth. Some of these persons are old and infirm, and have particular facts more deeply registered in the memory than others of more seeming importance; and it requires inquiry and examination to elicit other facts to supply or correct the narrative; and that all these have been hastily thrown to paper, and published, with- out even an examination of the proof sheet.
The transactions on the Susquehanna have, it is true, this connexion with the biography of Captain Samuel Brady, that, on hearing of the murder of his youngest brother, and that of his father, by the Indians there, he did, it is said, raise his hand on high and vow,-" Aided by Him who formed yonder Sun and Heavens, I will revenge the murder of my father and brother: nor while I live, will I ever be at peace with the Indians, of any tribe." -- This exclamation, uttered in a moment of an- guished feeling, the recital of his brother's sufferings being fresh in his mind, has been assigned as the prin- cipal cause of his daring and unparalleled courage and address in the various conflicts he had with the Indians afterwards.
This representation has rather obscured his true character than otherwise. He has been considered a de- voted man-killer, reckless of all sympathy, and desti- tute of all humanity towards the Indian race. This is by means true. Brady, as I have been informed by one who became acquainted with him on the occasion of his being indicted for the murder of certain Indians in time of peace, was a gentlemanly, fine looking man, possessed of a noble heart, and intellect of a high order. His conduct on that occasion, when investigated, was found to be correct; and that he had used his influence, as far, probably, as was safe with an infuriated band, to protect the Indians with whose murder he was charg- ed. But of this hereafter.
Another cause than blind revenge might be assigned for that heroic devotedness of courage; that eagernes to solicit dangerous commands; that contempt for all that is allied to fear, by which he was distinguished. But it is of little moment now, further than to authorize the assertion that it was honorable in its origin, though un- propitious in its termination.
After having perused our statement of the occur- rences at Susquehanna, and retaining in his mind the in- timation contained in the above lines, the reader will be satisfied that the excitement which prompted the vow, was not of that savage character it has generally been supposed to bear. But that it was the unpredict- ed exclamation of one
" Upon whose ear the signal word Of strife and death was hourly breaking; Who slept with head upon the sword,
His fevered hand must grasp in waking."
When Captain John Brady left Shippensburg he lo- cated himself at the Standing Stone, a celebrated In- dian town at the confluence of the Standing Stone creek and Juniata river ;- the present town of Huntingdon, in Huntingdon county, stands in part on the site of Stand- ing Stone. From thence he removed to the west branch of Susquehanna, opposite the spot on which Lewisburg or Derrstown, in Union county, stands. If I mistake not, the tract settled on by him, now belongs to George Kremer, Esq. Derr had a small mill on the run that empties into the river below the town, and a trading house, from whence the Indians were supplied with powder, lead, tobacco and rum. In the com- mencement of the strife between the colonies and the mother country, Brady discovered that the Indians were likely to be tampered with by the British. The Seneca and Muncy tribes were in considerable force, and Pine and Lycoming creeks were navigable almost to the state line, for canoes. Fort Augusta had been built upon the east side of the north branch, immediately where it con- nects with the west, about a mile above the present town of Sunbury. It was garrisoned by "a fearless few,"and commanded by Captain,afterwards Major Hun-
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1832.]
ter, a meritorious officer. He had under his command about fifty men. In the season for tillage some atten- tion was paid to farming, but the women and children mostly resided in the fort, or were taken thence on the slightest alarm. It was known that the Wyoming flats were full of Indians of the Delaware and Shamokin tribes. The latter since extinct, was then a feeble peo- ple, and under the protection of the Delawares. In this state of affairs Captain John Brady suggested to his neigh- bors and comrades, under arms at Fort Augusta, the propriety of making a treaty with the Seneca and Mun- cy tribes; knowing them to be at variance with the Delawares. This course was approved of, and peti- tions sent on to the proper authorities praying the ap- pointment of commissioners for the purpose of holding a treaty. Commissioners were appointed, and Fort Au- gusta was designated as the place of conference; and notice of that, and of the time fixed for the arrival of the commissioners was directed to be given to the two tribes. Captain John Brady and two others were se- lected by the people in the fort to seek the Senacas and Muneys and communicate to them the proposal.
The Indians met the "ambassabors" of the settlers, to wit, Captain John Brady and his companions in a ve- ry friendly manner; the chiefs listened with apparent pleasure to the proposal for a treaty, and after smok- ing the pipe of peace and promising to attend at Fort Augusta on the appointed day, led our men out of their camp, and shaking hands with them cordially, parted in seeming friendship.
Brady feared to trust the friendship so warmly ex- pressed, and took a different route in returning with his company from that they had went, and arrived safe at home.
On the day appointed for holding the treaty, the In- dians appeared, with their wives and children. There were about one hundred men, all warriors, and dressed in war costume. Care had been taken that the little fort should look as fierce as possible, and every man on the alert.
In former treaties the Indians had received large pre- sents, and were expecting them here: But finding the fort too poor to give any thing of value, (and an Indian never trusts,) all efforts to form a treaty with them proved abortive. They left the fort, however, apparent- ly in good humor, and well satisfied with their treat- ment; and taking to their canoes proceeded homeward. The remainder of the day was chiefly spent by the offi- cers and people of the fort in devising means of protec- tion against the anticipated attacks of the Indians. Late in the day Brady thought of Derr's trading house, and foreboding ovil from that point, mounted a small mare he had at the fort, and crossing the north branch he rode with all possible speed. On his way home he saw the canoes of the Indians on the bank of the river near Derr's. When near enough to observe the river, he saw the squaws exerting themselves to the utmost, at their pad- dles, to work the eanoes over to hisside of the river; and that when they landed, they made for thickets of su- mach which grew in abundance on his land to the height of a man's head, and very thick upon the ground. He was not slow in conjecturing the cause. He rode on to where the squaws were landing, and saw that they were conveying rifles, tomahawks and knives into the su- mach thickets, and hiding them. Ile immediately jumped into a canoe and crossed to Derr's trading house, where he found the Indians brutally drunk. He saw a barrel of rum standing on end before Derr's door, the head out. He instantly overset it, and spilled the rum, saying to Derr, " my God, Frederick, what have you done?" Derr replied: "Dey dells me you gif um no dreet town on de fort, so I dinks as I gif um one here, als he go home in bease."
his offence, and was constantly on his guard for several years.
Next day the Indians started off. They did not soon attack the settlements, but carried arms, for their allies, the English, in other parts. Meanwhile emigration to the west branch continued; the settlement extended, and Freelyng's or Freelan's fort was built near the mouth of Warrior run, about eight miles above Derr's trading house.
Contrary to expectation, the tomahawk remained at rest, for several years, on the Susquehanna. Fort Free- lyng was the rallying point in cases of alarm. Spies were out in the wilderness and the margin of the set- tlements, and even ventured a great distance into the Indian country without discovering signs of hostility. The cloud that for a while had threatened and then roll- ed away, was about to return, however, darker than before, and charged with destructive fury.
One evening a scouting party came in who had seen signs of Indians making their way toward the Susque- hanna. The neighborhood was alarmed, and all fled for safety to the fort. A council of war was held, and a decision made, that all the women and children should be sent down the river to fort Augusta, immediately, and spies sent out to observe the approaching force. The spies soon returned with intelligence that the enemy was near two hundred strong, and that there were white men among them.
Fort Freelyng was commanded by a captain Dough- erty, (than whom no braver man ever lived, ) who had under his command about sixty men. After hearing the force of the enemy, the officers agreed upon evacuating that fort, and retiring to fort Augusta; where, on uniting the whole force of the country, it was their determina- tion to make a last and desperate defence. The Indians had been seen skulking around the fort, and the men were preparing for a march, when an old tory, who was in the fort, exclaimed-"Captain Dougherty, I always knew the continental troops would not fight,"-Dough- erty was a man of impetuous feelings; he instantly re- plied-"you d-d old rascal, we will show you we can fight; and if the fort is betrayed, and I survive, I will sacrifice you."
The Indians attacked the fort early in the morning, on the upper side. On the lower, was a kind of glade, covered over thickly with large bushes, from six to sev- en feet high; having a small path through to the river. The fire of the Indians was of no great account, as they chose to keep at safe distance. The fire from the fort was well directed, by the best marksmen, and proved very galling. A British officer was seen busily engaged directing the Indians; but a lad in the fort, taking deli- berate aim, fired, and he was seen to fall ;- supposed to be killed or badly wounded. The attack was suspend- ed from a little before sun-set till the next morning. The Indians during the night had hid themselves in the bush- es, in order to draw the men out of the fort, but finding the little band too circumspect for the snare, came again to the attack with a most tremendous yell. They finally succeeded in getting into the fort, when a dread- ful massacre ensued. Captain Dougherty kept his eye upon the old tory, and finding all was over, sent a bul- let through him, with the imprecation-" Damn the traitor."
Every man sold his life as dear as possible; none es- caped hut Captain Dougherty and Samuel Brady, hro- ther to Captain John Brady, and uncle to Captain Sam- uel. They left the fort together, pursued by a host of Indians. The hazle bushes being so thick on the side of the fort at which they came out, it was impossible for the enemy to follow them. Captain Dougherty, who was an uncommonly active man, could load his ri- fle whilst under cover of the brush, and when he heard One of the Indians who saw the rum spilled, but was unable to prevent it, told Brady he would one day rue the spilling of that barrel. Being well acquainted with the noise of an Indian he could leap high enough to see and fire upon him. Samuel Brady (known in his day as uncle Sam. ) had made his way through the large the Indian character, he knew death was the penalty of | thicket and came upon a plain below. He thought it
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best, as he has been heard to say afterwards, to " make his eternal escape."
He had already run a considerable distance, but on looking hack, he beheld two Indians in pursuit; one of them a large, dangerous looking fellow, the other of small stature. He renewed his speed and was getting along pretty well, when his foot slipped into a hole, and he fell down. The large Indian was foremost and arm- ed. But Brady had fallen with a loaded rifle in his hand with which he shot at the savage, who gave a wild yell and fell dead. The little warrior thinking, perhaps, there were more rifles about, wheeled and made for the fort. At the edge of the fort it was his fortune to meet Captain Dougherty, who split his skull with the butt of lis rifle, and ran on. The two, Dougherty and Brady, only, survived that day's massacre, and brought the news to Fort Angusta. It may be supposed that, that night was one of gloom and sorrow in the little fortress. The reader can sketch the picture according to his own fan- cy. KISKEMINETAS.
From the Pennsylvania Reporter. STATISTICS OF SLAVERY.
We have not seen the official returns of the census, but from an abstract in the American Almanac, it ap- pears that there are still 37 slaves in New England, viz: 14 in Rhode Island, and 23 in Connecticut. Forty-six slaves are put down to the State of New York. Now we had supposed that slavery was abolished in this State, from and after the 4th of July, 1827. It is true, the children of slaves were still to remain in the employ of their former owners, to a certain age, "in the same man- ner as if they had been bound to service by the over- seers of the poor." Those born prior to the 1st April, 1817, were to remain in this condition, until the age of 21, and no longer. Hence it follows, that there will be no "servants" in this State, arising from the former re- lations of master and slave, after the 31st of March, 1845. There are no sluves now; or if there are, we should be glad to know, how the fact is explained.
But supposing, for the moment, that 46 slaves are rightly put down to the credit or discredit of New York, then the number of slaves in New England and New York, with a joint population of 3,868,119, is 83. Ad- ding 2,446 for New Jersey, 386 for Pennsylvania, 746 for Illinois, and 27 for Michigan, we have a total of 3688 slaves only, in the entire country north of Maryland, and the river Ohio. The number of States embraced in this district is twelve, and one territory. Number of inhabitants, 7,004,666; or a majority of the whole popu- lation of the United States. In 1820, the number of slaves in the same district was 19,321. Decrcase in ten years, by legislation or otherwise, 15,633. The only State within its limits, where the number of slaves has increased during the same period, is Pennsylvania, which has re- ceived an accession of 175, and at present has a total af 386. Our good friends, the Quakers, must look to this business a little-New Jersey has decreased from 7557 to 2446; New York from 10,088 to 46, or, as we say, to 0; Connecticut from 97 to 23; Rhode Island from 48 to 14; Indiana from 190 to 0; Illinois from 917 to 746. The States which are at present free from the curse of slave- ry, are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu. setts, New York, Ohio, and Indiana; two more than in 1820. It is high time that all the States we have men- tioned, should follow the same example; always taking care to make compensation for individual losses.
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