v v +*- \v . o .A (V 0 Samuel F. Stambaugh, Large Real Estate Dealer S46 Albert H. Stites, State Senator South Dakota 848 Centre Square and Soldiers' Monument at Bloomfield .... 916 Blain Borough and Conococheague Mountain 928 Jane ( Smiley) McCaskey 942 Duncannon Borough and Juniata Creek Road 950 Sherman's Creek near its Mouth at Duncannon 952 Clark M. Bower, Member of Assembly 969 Looking South from Liverpool 983 Marysville from Cove Mountain 100 1 Millcrstown, Oldest Town in the County 101 1 Millerstown's World War Monument 10 1 S Newport, Perry County's Largest Town . . 1024 Ickesburg and Landscape 1052 CHAPTER I. LOCATION.. PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. PERRY COUNTY. Pennsylvania, is located in the southern central portion of the state, just north of the Kittatinny (Blue) Mountain, its southern boundary being within forty miles of the Mason-Dixon Line, that historic line which not only separated the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland, but which he- came, politically, the boundary line between the North and the South, on the slavery question. In fact, in much of the legislation appertaining to slavery, this line was the barrier against which two contending forces battled, practically from the time of the forma- tion of the United States until the best blood of the nation was spilled in the four years of war between the States, 1861-65. Perry County is bounded on the north by Juniata County ; on the east by the Susquehanna River, across which lies Dauphin County; on the south by Cumberland County; and on the wesl by Franklin and Juniata Counties. It contains 564 square miles. according to Smull's Handbook, the official publication of the commonwealth. Groff, in the History of the Juniata and Susque- hanna Yalleys, gives the square miles as 480 ; Claypole, the geolo- gist, gives the number at 539, and Wright, in his History of Perry County, makes the number 550, which show considerable variance. While the size of Perry County is relatively small, yet it is not the smallest county in Pennsylvania, by any means. Twenty- seven others are smaller in area, but many of them have a vastly greater population. It is larger than either Cumberland or Dauphin. Perry County is credited with 564 square miles. The other coun- ties whose area is not so great are as follows : Montour, 130 square miles; Philadelphia, 133; Delaware, 185; Union, 305; Snyder. 311; Lehigh, 344; Lawrence, 360 ; Lebanon, 360; Northampton, 3;_>; Juniata, 392; Cameron, 392; Wyoming, 30; ; Mifflin, 398; Fulton, 402; Carbon, 406; Forest, 423; Beaver, 429; Lacka- wanna, 451 ; Sullivan, 458 ; Columbia. 479 ; Luzerne, 484; Mont- gomery, 484; Dauphin, 521; Cumberland, 528; Adams, 528; Blair, 534, and Pike, 544. In population, eleven other counties of the state have less. Ac- cording to the census of 1920, Perry County's population was 22,875. The counties having less are Cameron, Pike, Forest, Sul- livan, Fulton, Montour, Wyoming, Juniata, Union, Snyder, and Potter. 15 i6 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA The United Slates Census Bureau, in a bulletin, 192 1, classes Perry County as one of eight "truly rural" counties in Pennsyl- vania — along with Forest, Ful- ton, Juniata, Pike, Snyder, Sulli- van, and Wyoming — for the rea- son that the 1920 census showed no communities of 2,500 or over in population. Were the built-up sections at Newport in one dis- trict, instead of being divided into Newport and Oliver Township, that town would show a greater population than that figure. While classed as a rural county, Perry County is within fifteen minutes of the State Capital, within three hours of Philadelphia or the Capi- tal of the nation at Washington, and within five hours of New York City. A ride of a little over four hours and you are at the surf of the great Atlantic Ocean. The great bend in the river below Newport marks the half-way point over the Pennsyl- vania Railroad, between New York and Pittsburgh. According to a bulletin of the State Forestry Department 210 square miles are wooded land, comprising 134,400 acres, out of a total of 304,640. The seventy-seventh degree of longitude west of Greenwich passes through the county, cut- ting the townships of Rye, Watts, Buffalo, and Liverpool, passing the village of Montgomery's Ferry, and going through Liver- pool Borough. On its way through the state it goes through Hanover and passes, a short distance east of Williamsport, thus showing our relative positions with towns in the northern and southern sections. The seventy-seventh degree also passes through the National Capital. All the Southern states, save small sections of Virginia and North Carolina, lie west of it, an unusual fact to many. The entire county lies between the seventy-sixth and. koto by 1 1 lick GIBSON'S ROCK Located on Sherman's Creek. By it lay the "Allegheny Path," the First Great Indian Trail to the West. LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 17 seventy-eighth degrees, and almosl all of it between the sevent} seventh and seventy-eighth. It lies between the fortieth and fort) first degrees of latitude. A line drawn from Pittsburgh to Read- ing, Pennsylvania, would pass through New Bloomfield, and one from Johnstown to Reading, through Marysville. Considered in size, Perry County is one of the smaller counties of the state, and yet it is almost half of the size of the state of Rhode Island, and almost one-fourth as large as the state of Dela- ware. Its average length is thirty-fight miles, and its average breadth, fourteen miles. Its elevation varies very much. At the mouth of the Juniata it is 357.4 feet above sea level, and at the Gibson mill in Spring Township, it is 471 feet. The old road over Bower Mountain, in Jackson Township, according to Claypole, the geologist, is 950 feet above the valley, 1,350 feet above Landis- burg, and 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. Its location is in the Atlantic slope of the great Appalachian Mountain system, of which Groff* says: "The construction of the underground world is so beautifully simple as a whole, and so curiously complicated in details, that it will ever stand the typical district of the Appalachian Mountain belt of the Atlantic sea- board." The shape of the county resembles roughly a triangle, or rather, a pennant. Its acreage is 360,960, according to the Depart- ment of Agriculture of the State. Along the eastern boundary, where winds the broad Susque- hanna, from a point about five miles above Liverpool to below Marysville, where the river breaks through the Blue or Kittatinny Mountain, the distance is twenty-nine miles, or twenty-one by air *George G. Groff, M.D., former Professor of Natural History, Bucknell University. Gibson's Rock. Gibson's Rock is located along the north side of Sher- man's Creek, three miles west of Shermansdale. It is a striking geological formation, of which the county has many, and yet this is a surpassing one in size and interest. Located at the dividing line of Spring and Carroll Townships this mighty crag towers from the bed of Sherman's Creek almost perpendicularly. West of it the old Indian trail, known as the Allegheny Path, crossed the creek to the northern side. Here the moun- tain evidently once breasted the creek and held back waters which covered several townships, according to geologists. Picturesquely situated, this point has long been a mecca for campers, outings, and picnics. Above it, within sound of the human voice, stood the famous Gibson mansion, and still stands the "Westover" or Gibson mill. In that house was born Chief Justice John Bannister Gibson, Governor William Bigler, and John Bern- heisel, representative in Congress from the then Territory of Utah. f,<>\ ernor William Bigler had a brother, John Bigler, who was governor of California at the same time that his brother was governor of Pennsyl- vania, but John Bigler was born at Landisburg, where his parents resided. prior to coming to the Westover mill in 1809. During the early years of the county's existence a bill passed the Pennsylvania Legislature making Sherman's Creek navigable, and many huge boulders were blown from flie creek's bottom, some within the shadow of the great cliff, the drill marks being yet distinguishable. 2 l8 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA line. The trend of the river is from north to south, with consid- erable bend to the west at Duncannon. The southern boundary, starting at the Susquehanna River from a point seven miles north of Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, follows the crest of the Blue Mountain, adjoining Cumberland County, for fifty-three miles, at an average elevation of one thousand feet above the Cum- berland Valley, to the south. The course of the mountain for the first twenty-two miles is almost a straight line, due westward. Then it curves back, northward, to Welsh Hill, and makes a loop, in which lies Green Valley. Going out again to practically the same line from which it receded, to Pilot Knob, it makes a second loop— deeper than the first — which is the location of Kennedy's Valley. Thereafter its course is practically southwest to the Franklin County line for over a dozen miles. The air line dis- tance along the southern border is thirty-eight miles. The extreme western boundary, which borders Franklin County, is only a little over eight miles, crossing a series of mountains, described further on, at very irregular intervals. From the north- west corner it follows the crest of the Tuscarora Mountain to the Juniata River, the first ten miles being almost straight in a north- eastern direction. It then makes two small offsets at the west of Madison Township and assuming the same general direction runs "straight as a crow flies" to the western bank of the Juniata River. At this point the line runs due north for a mile and a half, and thence almost due east about thirteen miles to the western bank of the Susquehanna River. The mountains in and surrounding Perry County are from six hundred to twelve hundred feet high, measured from the valley levels adjoining, but are eight hundred to sixteen hundred feet above sea level. A brief description of these mountains follows, much of the information being drawn from the works of Professor Claypole, the geologist: Mountains. Kittatinny or Blur Mountain. This mountain is known by various names. Geographers term it the Blue Mountain; the pioneers called it the Kitta- tinny Mountain, derived from the Indian "Kau-ta-tin-chunk," meaning the main or principal mountain ; Conrad Weiser, the Indian interpreter, inter- preted it as "the endless mountain" ; Richard Peters, the provincial secre- tary, in a letter to Governor Hamilton, dated July 2, 1750, first officially called it "the Blue Hills"; the residents east of the Susquehanna called it the First Mountain, and the residents of the Cumberland Valley called and many yet call it the North Mountain, as it lies north of that valley. In a provincial record dated May 6, 1752, this mountain is called "Kekach- tany" or "Endless Hills," the title which the Delaware Indians applied to it. In the Albany grant of July 6, 1754, for the lands which now com- prise Perry County and others, recorded in the provincial records of February 3, 1755, it is called the Kittochtinny or Blue Hills, by which it was known throughout provincial and colonial times in all records. The LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. [9 description at the beginning of this chapter only applies to this mountain in so far as it is the southern boundary of the county. This Indian 1 "Kautatinchunk," as quoted in some volumes, is said to have been "Tyan- nuntasacta" by the Six Nations, and "Kekachtannin" by the Delaw The name is defined at one place as meaning "steadfast in storm and ever true blue." It is to be regretted that the old Indian name, Kittatinny, has fallen somewhat into disuse. Luther Reily Kelker, in his History of Dauphin County, speaking of the Kittatinny Mountain also being called the Blue or North Mountain, said, "The Indian name alone should be used; any mountain may be blue at a distance, and any one is north of some place." These mountains (of the Appalachian system) really stretch from a point not far from Newburgh, New York, on the Hudson River, across New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and enter North Carolina and Tennessee, being broken by water gaps to let through the waters of the Delaware, the Lehigh, the Schuylkill, the Swatara, the Susquehanna, and the Potomac (at Harper's Ferry). At the southern part of the county its crest-length of fifty-three miles is unbroken by a single water gap. For seventeen miles it runs, with one small zigzag, parallel to Bower Mountain, separated from it by the steep and narrow vale of the north branch of Laurel Run, which starts at the Franklin County line. Both mountains run on thus southwestward through Franklin County, unite and end before reaching Fort Loudon. Bower Mountain is therefore only a return zigzag of Blue Mountain. It received its name First Mountain from the early settlers of south- eastern Pennsylvania, especially those who built their cabins along the Susquehanna River at Columbia, Marietta, and Harrisburg, and had occa- sion to go up the river in canoes through the water gaps. The first moun- tain they passed by was this mountain, hence the name, First Mountain. The second was Cove Mountain, and from the Susquehanna to the Lehigh it has retained the name of Second Mountain ever since; the third was the Sharp Mountain of Schuylkill County, which traverses Dauphin County, but does not quite reach the Susquehanna River; the fourth was Peters' Mountain, opposite Duncannon. Here, at the mouth of the Juniata the numerals stopped, as the mountains farther up, Berry's and Buffalo, did not run in the same general direction. In September, 1742, David Zeisberger, the missionary, and a party of friends, among whom was Conrad Weiser, on their way from the settled part of the province "came to a ridge of forest-crowned mountains, across which led a blind trail, full of loose, sharp stones, and close to high rocks the rugged sides of which rendered horseback riding exceedingly danger- ous. The mountains being without a name, Conrad Weiser called them 'The Thiirnstein,' in honor of Zinzendorf. They were the parallel chains of the Blue Ridge, now known as the Second, Third, and Peters' Moun- tains." The western end of the Tuscarora Mountain, Conococheague Mountain, Round Top, Little Round Top, Rising Mountain, Amberson Ridge, Bower Mountain, and Middle or Sherman Mountain, named in order from north- west to southeast, across the western end of the county, are all in a way zigzags of different lengths of one range. The following description from Claypole is given verbatim : "A woodsman can enter Perry County from Franklin County on the rocks at the top of the West Tuscarora Mountain, and walk along the rocky crest of this range, alternately towards the northeast and towards the southwest, for a total distance of thirty-live miles, reentering Franklin County from the crest of Bower Mountain, only three miles across from 20 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA the place where he left it. In all this distance he will keep at nearly the same elevation, say 1,600 feet above ocean level, except at three points, where the wall on the top of which he is traveling is broken down to its base by small streams. One of these water gaps is cut through the West Tuscarora Mountain; a second is made by the head of Sherman's Creek, which cuts through Rising Mountain; the third is made by Houston's Run through the north leg of Bower Mountain. Everywhere else along the line he will find the sharp crested mountain unbroken by gaps, with steep rock-covered slopes or even cliffs always on his right hand, and a gentler, smoother, but still quite steep slope on his left hand. When he turns the east end of a zigzag he will see the mountain crest make a long slope downward into the valleys of Perry County; and when he turns the west ends of the zigzag, he will be on boldly scarped knobs overlooking the shale and limestone valleys of Franklin County. On these knobs he will always reach a somewhat higher elevation above tide. Round Top and Little Round Top are simply the southwestward looking ends of two of the zigzags rather more strongly pronounced than the others." The district enclosed by these mountains is peculiarly isolated from travel, except along the river. While the extreme western part of the county is bound by this series of mountain ranges, yet the traveler can go through to Amberson Valley, Franklin County, by utilizing the second narrows and the break through Bower's Mountain. Tuscarora Mountain. The eastern end of the Tuscarora Mountain forms a range alone, along its crest for a distance of twenty-one miles runs the boundary line which separates Perry from Juniata County. Almost straight and continuous, it is broken by a ravine opposite Ickes- burg. A small stream flows through this ravine, draining a small glen in the heart of the mountain, three miles in length and a half-mile in width. At this point the mountain has two crests, the county line following the southern. This mountain slopes gently at both ends. In Gordon's His- tory of Pennsylvania and Belknap's Gazetteer of Pennsylvania, both of which were published in 1832, the Tuscarora is referred to as Tussey's Mountain, in these words, "The Juniata River enters Perry County through Tussey's Mountain." There is a mountain by that name farther up the state, but as these two historians called the Tuscarora "Tussey's Moun- tain" it may have been known to many others by that name and hence the resultant confusion of pioneer and Indian history and legend. Tiik Hill Ranges Within. Surrounded by mountains and the Susquehanna River and penetrated from the east to a small extent by other mountains the interior of Perry County is an extensive wedge-shaped area of open country, traversed by many ranges of hills, which vary from two hundred to five hundred feet above the levels of the streams which drain them. Some of these hills are cultivated in common with the lower soil, a prominent and extensive example being the Middle Ridge, which extends ten miles west from Newport. Raccoon Ridcjc. A ridge in Tuscarora Township, starting some dis- tance from the river. At Donally's Mills it is broken by a gap through which flows the south branch of Raccoon Creek. Ore Ridge. A ridge paralleling the Tuscarora Mountain at its base, comparatively low and located within Tuscarora Township. Hominy Ridge. The southern boundary of the western half of Tusca- rora Township. It is of Chemung shale, which Claypole says is among the poorest, adding "of all the Chemung districts that on Hominy Ridge LOCATION. PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 21 is the most uninviting. High, steep and rough, it presents little to attract the farmer and the wonder arises why so much of il is cleared." Umestone Ridge. A wooded ridge starting- at the Juniata River below Bailey's Station, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, in Miller Township, and extending westward through the county to the Madison Township line, forming the boundary between Miller and Oliver Townships and -< pa rating Spring and Tyrone from Saville. Even west of that its formation exists, to the western end of the county, but it is more broad and is cul- tivated. North of Andersonburg and Centre it is two and a half miles broad. From New Bloomfield to the Juniata it has double and at some places triple crests. Limestone generally follows its southern surface. The U. S. Geological Survey names this ridge, Hickory Ridge, and the northern crest, Buffalo Ridge. Mulianoy Ridge. Mahanoy Ridge starts near the Juniata River, in Mil- ler Township, at a point between Iroquois and Losh's Run stations, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and traverses Miller, Centre, and Spring Town- ships. At four points in Miller and Centre Townships it is broken by water gaps. Between Green Park and Landisburg it zigzags, coming to an abrupt incline at the latter place in a promontory known as Bell's Hill. Dick's Hill. This ridge starts in Miller Township, almost five miles west of the Juniata River, and becomes from that point the boundary line between Miller and Wheatfield Townships. It separates Wheatfield and Carroll Townships from Centre and continues into Spring Township, ter- minating at a point east of a line between Landisburg and Bridgeport, be- ing known as Pisgah Ridge after leaving the Wheatfield Township line. Its central portion is shown in old maps as Iron Ridge, and is sometimes locally known as Rattlesnake Hill. This ridge was probably known as Dick's Hill for its entire length originally, as it is mentioned as being crossed by the old Indian trail to the West as early as 1803, by a woman then 100 years old, as will be noted in our chapter devoted to "Trails, Roads, and Highways." From its eastern gap, through which flows kittle Juniata Creek, one of the three earliest churches took its name — the Dick's Gap Church, long since gone to decay. This church was not located along Dick's Hill however, but along Mahanoy Ridge, a short distance north. Dick's Hill was also the site of two pioneer industries, Perry Furnace and Montebello Furnace. Claypole says, "Curving round sharply it sweeps for almost twenty miles under the name of 'Little Mountain' to the Susque- hanna River at Marysville." Pisgah Ridge. See Dick's Hill, immediately preceding. Pine Hill. This ridge starts in Carroll Township and runs east, forming the dividing line between Rye and Wheatfield. It is, in fact, an extension of the Cove Mountain. Buck Hills. South of New Germantown, in Toboyne Township, a low range called Buck Hills rises gradually, but irregularly, until it merges into Rising Mountain. Chestnut Hills. The Chestnut Hills rise in Madison Township, west of Centre, run through Jackson and Toboyne, merge into Amberson Ridge, their ascension being gradual. Round Top. Right after leaving the county the Conococheague Moun- tain turns sharply and reenters the county, forming Pound Top, which commands the head of Sherman's Valley and is a conspicuous object for many miles. Its course is short, however, and zigzaging again, it passes over the county line to the southwest, with a southeast dip, and continues for about twelve miles as a range known as Dividing Mountain, as it di- vides Path Valley and Amberson Valley, in Franklin County. Dividing Mountain. See Round Top. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Little Rount Top. Located in Toboyne Township, south of Round Top. Rising Mountain. Returning from its long lap into Franklin County the mountain again reenters Perry County and forms the high, broad, stony ridge known as Rising Mountain, lying southwest of New Germantown. To the east lie Buck Hills, which rise gradually into a mountain, hence the name, Rising Mountain. Amberson Ridge. After Rising Mountain crosses into Franklin it laps and again crosses the line into Perry, being then known as Amberson Ridge. It meets the great fold of Bower Mountain and forms a high knob overlooking Amberson Valley, Franklin County. Bower Mountain. Bower Mountain is a great level-crested ridge rising near Loysville, passing through Madison Township, gently sloping upward through Jackson Township, and on entering Toboyne it forms a small zigzag and separates into two parts which are unnamed. Named after Nathaniel Bower, whose 200-acre farm saddled its crest. Mount Pisgah. The highest elevation of the little range of Pisgah Mountains is in Carroll Township. Opposite these mountains, near where Sherman's Creek breaks through at Gibson's Rock, was born John Ban- nister Gibson, once Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. It is also known locally as Pisgah Hill. Little Mountain. A small ridge lying north of the Blue Mountain, in Rye and Carroll Townships and a short distance into Spring Township. Slaughterbeck Hill. Sometimes called Michael's Ridge. A conspicuous promontory in Pfoutz Valley, Greenwood Township. It blocks entrance from the west, rising above every other range in the township. Claypole says of it: "It is really a fragment of the great Tuscarora anticlinal which has been cut off by the Juniata River from the main body and constitutes an outlier. In truth the whole of the valley is a continuation eastward of the anticlinal ridge of the Tuscarora, eroded by long ages of frost, rain and sunshine." Michael's Ridge. See Slaughterbeck's Hill, immediately preceding. Wildcat Ridge. A high and rugged ridge separating Perry and Pfoutz Valleys, in Greenwood township. It enters Liverpool Township for a short distance, but dies down, the two valleys here being less distinct than farther west. Rough and rocky at places, where wildcats once had a ren- dezvous, hence the name. Turkey Ridge. This high ridge, at places farmed to its very top, but mostly wooded, is the dividing line between Perry and Juniata Counties at Liverpool Township. Like Wildcat Ridge it loses much of its steepness as it approaches the Susquehanna River. In pioneer years noted as a great wild turkey territory, from which comes the name, Turkey Ridge. Half Fall Mountain. In provincial and colonial records, frequently re- ferred to as Half Fall Hills. It lies between Buffalo and Watts Town- ships, its crest being the township line. It is an extension, across the Juniata, of the converging Mahanoy and Limestone Ridges, the limestone rocks forming almost a complete dam across the river, producing a "half- falls" from which the mountain takes its name. It spans the territory completely between the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers, being crossed by a public highway. Below Montgomery's Ferry it ends in a conspicuous bluff, near the top of which is a cave supposed to have once been the hiding place of Simon Girty, the renegade, but which records practically confute. (See chapter on Simon Girty.) On a promontory of the moun- tain here is a protruding rock, which viewed coming from the north over the Susquehanna Trail, presents the profile of an Indian as perfect as can be found, and one which only the Creator, that greatest of artists, could produce. LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 23 Mount Patrick. A name sometimes applied to the end of Berry's Moun- tain at the village of that name. North Mountain. See Kittatinny Mountain. First Mountain. See Kittatinny Mountain. Second Mountain. See Kittatinny Mountain. Third Mountain. See Kittatinny Mountain. Fourth Mountain. See Kittatinny Mountain. This is also known as Peters' Mountain and is located opposite to Duncannon, the Cove Moun- tain being in reality an extension thereof, the Susquehanna water gap cutting through. Peters' Mountain. See preceding paragraph. Mount Dempsey. A high promontory of the Blue or Kittatinny Moun- tain, where it laps, located opposite Landisburg, in Tyrone Township. One of the most picturesque spots in the county. An Indian trail, later used as a bridle path, passes its base. Buck Ridge. A "breaking down" of Rising Mountain, in Toboyne Town- ship. Big Knob. A mountain ridge north of Blain. Little Knob. Twin sister to Big Knob, north of Blain. "The Crossbar." A wooded ridge running from Big Knob, north of Blain, to the Tuscarora Mountain. Berry's Mountain and Buffalo Mountain. These two mountains are lo- cated in the northeast section of the county, are broken by water gaps by the Susquehanna at Mt. Patrick and Liverpool, are seven and eight miles long, respectively, and unite in a single elevated knob on the east bank of the Juniata River a mile above Newport, known as Round Top, which can be plainly seen from east of the Susquehanna. Both of them have per- fectly straight sharp crests, long gentle slopes towards the cove which they form, and outer terraces, that of Berry's facing south and that of Buffalo facing northwest. Unlike the sharp ellipse of Cove Mountain, that of Berry's Mountain is broken by a gap nearly to its base at its western end on the southern side, by a small stream extending into the Juniata. But a high divide behind the gap virtually closes the upper end of the cove. Berry's Mountain runs on through Dauphin County and returns as Peters' Mountain, then Cove Mountain. Buffalo Mountain also reappears on the east side of the Susquehanna under the name Mahantango Mountain, and along its crest runs the north county line of Dauphin to the northwest corner of Schuylkill County. Buffalo Mountain separates Buffalo Town- ship from Greenwood and Liverpool Townships. As the Dauphin County anthracite coal basin is enclosed at its west end by the Cove Mountain in Perry County, so is the Wiconiseo anthracite coal basin enclosed by Berry's and Buffalo Mountains in Perry County. The two coves resemble each other closely in shape, size and position. Within the cove formed by Buffalo and Berry Mountains is located Hun- ter's Valley, the northern half of Buffalo Township. Berry Mountain, it is said, was named after a family by the name of Berry which resided at its base, below Mt. Patrick, but as it bears the same name east of the Susquehanna it probably derived its name from the fact that immense quantities of berries have always grown along its sides. Cove Mountain. The Cove Mountain, lying between Duncannon and Marysville, is a sharply recurved ridge, one thousand feet higher than the water level of the water gap below, like the cut-off prow of a canoe- shaped basin— the Dauphin County anthracite coal basin, being the west end of a long-pointed ellipse, the east end of which is Carbon County, be- yond the Lehigh River. The Susquehanna River crosses it diagonally at the east, the northern crest being only five miles in length and the southern 24 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA ten miles. The crest at the extreme west is known as "the horseshoe" to sportsmen and overlooks the fertile Sherman's Valley to the west. Conococheague Mountain. A beautiful mountain is the Conococheague. It forms a long, straight, even-crested ridge from Madison Township, where it starts, to its termination at Round Top, in Toboyne Township, without break or gap of any character. Over it pass two roads, one lead- ing north from New Germantown to Horse Valley and Juniata County, and the other west over the bend in the range to Concord, Franklin County. At its east end it is a perfect arch, but to the west it becomes a south- dipping range. The Indian word, Conococheague, is recorded as meaning "it is indeed a long way." lUtffalo Ridge. The name applied to the ridge south of the Little Buf- falo Creek. Also known as Furnace Hills. Furnace I /ills. See preceding paragraph. Bell's I /ill. The promontory ending of Mahanoy Ridge in Spring Town- ship. Quaker Hill. An outlying hill of the Pisgah Ridge in Spring Township. Gallovi's Hill. In "Little Germany," John Faus (Foose), known as the "King of Germany" on account of his large land holdings, took up 300 acres on June 12, 1794, with which he was assessed in 1820, the date of the county's birth, and on which he had erected a sawmill and a distillery. A tavern was kept on the old mansion farm until 1827. The sign of this tavern, was an iron ring suspended from an arm attached to a high post, so suggestive of a gallows that the place came to be known as "Gallows Hill." Welsh Hill. The point of the Blue Mountain separating Kennedy's Val- ley from Green Valley, in Tyrone Township. Pilot Knob. Pilot Knob is the highest spur of the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain, and is located not far from Landisburg. Middle Ridge. The ridge running west from Newport, through Oliver and Juniata Townships, once wooded, but now a fertile section of farm lands. Crawley Hilt. A high hill in Spring Township, an outlying knoll of the Dick's Hill range, which derived its name from a man named Crawley, who, it is said, was murdered upon it long years ago for his money. His remains were buried near the road which crosses the hill. But a few rods from this road, on the south side of the hill, stood a very small stone school- house in the shadow of a thicket, and tradition tells of the teacher raising a window sash to get a rod without leaving the building, for it appears that at one time the rod was a necessary accessory to every schoolhouse. Tradition may be right, but the writer cannot conceive of any Perry County boy allowing them to remain so handy longer than twenty-four hours. A frame structure later took its place, but it was abandoned. Be- tween Crawley Hill and Mahanoy Hill nestles the famous settlement known as "Little Germany." Iron Ridge. The name once applied to the ridge just south of Crawley Hill, in Spring Township. Tiii': Kittatinny Mountain Gaps. Across the crest of the Kittatinny Mountain, where it drops, (if ten slightly, are a number of famous gaps or passes, some of which were the locations of old Indian trails and are mentioned in provincial and colonial records. Starting from the Susquehanna River these gaps in the order named are Lamb's, Miller's, Myer's, Croghan's (now called Sterrett's), Crane's, Sharon's, Long's, LOCATloX. PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 25 Waggoner's, and IVlcClure's. A concise description of each fol- lows: Holt's Gap. A small gap in the mountain at ,1 poinl jusl wesl of MEai ville, little more than a great depression. L,amb's Gap. Crosses the mountain almost opposite what was known as I Liftman's mill, in Rye Township, now C,1envale. On the Cumberland side it is the boundary line between Hampden and Silver Spring Townships. Elevation, 1,018 feet. Miller's Gap. Crosses the mountain at a point a short distance south west of Keystone, the road coming out at Wertzville, Cumberland Count) Elevation, 1,080 feet. Mxcr's Gap. Almost directly south of Crier's Point. Crossed by a 1 1 road, little better than a trail. Dean's Gap. The road from Perry County leading up to this gap, which lies almost two miles east of Sterrett's Gap, leaves a point known as "the narrows" and runs in a- southeastern direction; another road from the same point runs towards Sterrett's Gap, in a southwestern direction. There is a considerable farm on the mountaintop at this gap, where Dr. Dean lung resided, having a considerable medical practice in both Perry and Cumberland Counties. The road on the Cumberland side trended in the direction of Mechanicsburg. Croghan's or Sterrett's Gap. Of all the gaps across the Kittatinny tins one is the easiest for travel and the most noted historically. Through it leads the state highway from New Bloomfield to Carlisle. Across it ran the earliest Indian trail and in pioneer times the old Allegheny Path. Over it passed the great Indian chiefs, the early interpreters, the early traders and the pioneers with their meagre belongings and their first do- mestic animals. Through its then precipitous passes came those first early missionaries of Scotch-Irish Calvinism carrying to these inland forests the message of the Man of Galilee, and across its picturesque ravines to- day roll hundreds of motor cars on pleasure and business bent. From a point of greater elevation several hundred feet west can he seen, looking northward, the historic and picturesque Sherman's Valley, nestling be- n the mountains, one of the famous coves of Pennsylvania, and look- in- southward, the more extensive and productive Cumberland Valley in all its beauty. The elevation of Sterrett's Gap is 925 feet. As late as 1877, according to Beach Nichols' Atlas of Perry, Juniata, and Mifflin Counties, there was a post office located there known as Sterrett's Gap. At that time there was also a store and tavern there. Authorities give the name of the first tavern keeper as a man namel Puller. When the county was created, in 1820, Daniel Gallatin was the tavern keeper. After the middle of the last century there was a new hostelry built, where came the well-to-do from Carlisle, Baltimore and other places, on leisure bent. There came happy throngs, and there were scenes of gayety by day and sounds of revelry by night, but with the growing popularity of the resorts and the easy methods of travel its fame as a resort passed and a struggling lone tavern remained. In fact, there was a road house there until very recent years, at times being a hostelry of g 1 reputation and again being a rendezvous for those of questionable reputation, its clientele often changing with the change of proprietors. This gap was originally known as Croghan's Gap, by reason of George Croghan's residing near. Croghan was prominent in provincial all aits. An early order of survey was taken out for the lands at this point by John Armstrong, who sold it to Nathan Andrews. It was returned to the land office June 21, 1788, in the name of Ralph Sterrett, who with his brothers John and James Sterrett, warranted 26 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 408 acres along the crest of the mountain, extending over three miles east from the gap. Accordingly it came to be known as Sterrett's Gap and so it remains, though the Sterretts are gone long since. Descendants of the Sterretts sold the lands to William Ramsey, of Carlisle. In a mortgage dated June 26, 1830, the Ramsey lands in Rye Township included "850 acres of land, two fulling mills, a woolen factory, three dwelling houses, a wagonmaker shop, stable, shed and part of tavern house and part of orchard at same place." (Part of the tavern and orchard were in Cum- berland County, the former being built upon the line.) By right of mort- gage James Buchanan, later President of the United States, became owner of a part of these lands in 1835 and was assessed with 250 acres and a fulling mill. ^ The mountain near the gap slopes so gradually that the approach from Shermansdale and Fishing Creek is very gentle, and abundant springs of water from high levels are available at the very top. There, upon a small plateau, met four early highways from divergent points, which made it an early centre of trade. And thus, at the dawn of the past century, we find an early trading post. There were stores for exchange and sale and shops for repairs, a tavern where man and beast were fed and cared for, and there dwelt an early physician, Dr. Kaechline, until after a severe and in- tensely cold midwinter night his frozen body was found near the foot of the eastern slope, while a riderless horse at the gap stables gave the alarm, too late. Additional facts may be found in the chapters devoted to Trails, Roads and Highways, and Carroll Township. Something of George Cro- ghan's life also appears in the early chapters of this book. Crane's Gap. This gap crosses the mountain about three miles west of Sterrett's at an elevation of 1,300 feet. The road enters Cumberland County in North Middleton Township. At an early day it was but a foot- path, but in 1848 was made a public road, now long abandoned. Sharon's Gap. A small gap about a mile west of Crane's gap, called after the original warrantee of the lands. There was once a road there, but it too has been long since abandoned. Long's Gap. This gap is directly south from Falling Springs, where William Long, on February 3, 1794, warranted 400 acres of land. Its ele- vation is 1,390 feet. To the older generation it is known as the "Forty Shillings' Gap," tradition having it that a murder was once committed there for the purpose of robbery and that the culprit got but forty shil- lings. As our monetary system has had no shillings in circulation since our divorce from George III the murder was likely a provincial tragedy. Waggoner's Gap. Crosses the mountain south of Oak Grove Furnace or Bridgeport. It is mentioned in early provincial annals. The road from New Germantown, via Landisburg, leads through this gap, and was known as the Baltimore Pike in the days when teaming to Baltimore with farm produce was an industry. McClure's Gap. McClure's Gap crosses the mountain at Welsh Hill, southwest of Landisburg. There is really very little gap to the Perry County side from the hollow on the Cumberland side, formed by the folds in the mountain. It is crossed by a road built in 1821 to connect Landis- burg, then the temporary county seat, with Newville, Cumberland County. This gap is mentioned in provincial records as early as 1756. See chapter on "Trails and Highways." Doubling Gap. Probably named by reason of the doubling of the moun- tain here. In a number of early publications, one as late as June 11, 1829, however, it was called Dublin Gap, and the springs on the Cumberland side were advertised as "Dublin, Gap Springs" as late as 1800. It was first known as McFarlan's Gap, as James McFarlan had located about a LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. _-; thousand acres just below the gap. Court records bear out the fact thai it was once known as McParlan's, as in April, 1891, a petition to the Cum- berland County court asked for the laying out of a road from Thomas Barnes' sulphur spring in the gap, formerly known as McFarlan's Cap. to Carlisle. Doubling Gap figures in traditions of the first settlers and was a commanding pass from the Shosshone Indians on the south, to the fi Tuscaroras in the north, long before white settlers dared invade the sec- tion. During the Provincial-Indian wars, an Indian trail from the Sus quehanna, starting at the mouth of the Juniata, followed an almost direel course westward across the county territory, through Doubling Gap, thence to the mouth of Brandy Run on the Conodoguinet. Facing Doubling Gap from Cumberland Valley, the eye meets Round Knob, 1,400 feet above tidewater. On top of it is Flat Rock, one of the most noted lookouts in the whole range of mountains. From its vantage point the whole Cum- berland Valley lies before you, the South Mountain far below and the tortuous Conodoguinet wending its way eastward. During the period from 1820 to 1846 the hostelry known as the Doubling Gap Springs Hotel was in its heyday, and to it came men of note and prominence from far-off points. With the coming of the railroads and the growth of seaside re- sorts its fame gradually dwindled until it is little known. Tuscarora Mountain Gaps. Unlike the Kittatinny Mountain, to the county's south, the Tus- carora Mountain, along the northern boundary, has few gaps, and only one of importance. The gaps are mentioned in the report of the survey of i860, which was for the purpose of locating the line between Perry and Juniata Counties. Waterford Gap. This is the largest gap crossing the Tuscarora Moun- tain and the one through which crossed that old-time trail, the Allegheny Path. Through it passed the red men on their incursions in and out of Perry County territory and the daring and intrepid fellows who followed them. Along this trail passed the trader, the early postrider, the circuit rider, the pioneer emigrant on his way to the valley of the Ohio, and through it to-day is a highway on which pass great touring cars of the modern world. In early annals it was known as Bigham's Gap, but is de- scribed here as Waterford Gap, as that is the official name placed upon it by the County Line Commission. It is also sometimes called the Water- ford Narrows. The residents of the east end of Horse Valley travel via this gap in order to trade at East Waterford, Juniata County, their nearest town. The public road traversing this gap extends from East Waterford through into Horse Valley and to New Germantown. Bigham's Gap. See Waterford Gap, immediately preceding. Bealetoum Narrows. Another gap or break in the Tuscarora Mountain is located southeast of Honey Grove, Juniata County, and is known as the Bealetown Narrows. These narrows permit easy access to and from the eastern portion of Liberty Valley, the road passing near the former site of the Mohler tannery, and thence eastward by Walsingham schoolhouse to Saville and Ickesburg. Winns' Gap. Winns' Gap is located approximately two and one-half miles east of the Waterford Gap. This gap is only a slight depression in the mountain, and according to local gossip was frequently used by the in- habitants living in the east end of Horse Valley for travel into Tuscarora Valley in Juniata County. Tins end of Horse Valley is sometimes called Kansas Valley. Only a trail or path crosses this gap. 28 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Yai.i.kys. The county of Perry, in itself a part of two of the most beau- tiful valleys of Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna and Juniata, has within its borders a number of beautiful and picturesque valleys, many of them fertile and whose history dates back to almost the middle of the second century past, when the pioneers braved the untold dangers of the frontier to make their homes here. A brief description of each : The Susquehanna J 'alley. The long, broad and fertile drainage area of the Susquehanna River, extending from within New York State, through Pennsylvania to Maryland, the greater part of Perry County being drained into the Susquehanna via Sherman's Creek, which empties into it at Dun- cannon, and various other streams. Duncannon is located at the most western point of the Susquehanna, the river making a sharp turn to the southeast at that point. The Juniata Valley. The picturesque valley drained by the Juniata River, extending from the Allegheny Mountains to Duncannon, where the Juniata flows into the Susquehanna. Almost half of the county is drained by the Juniata. Sherman's I 'alley. Sherman's Valley comprises the larger part of west- ern Perry County, being drained by Sherman's Creek. It extends from west of New Germantown to Duncannon. For several decades it was at the very frontier of civilization. Across it first moved traffic to the west of the Alleghenies, when roads were yet unknown. Just how Sherman's Valley got its name will always remain a mystery. There is a tradition that a trader by that name was drowned while cross- ing Sherman's Creek, but nowhere is there record to substantiate it. How- ever, as early as 1750 both the creek and the valley are referred to by that name. The first person of that name to patent land was John Shearman, and the tract was the first one east of the Haas mill tract in what is now I 'nm Township. Here Andrew Berryhill took up 331 acres November 26, 17(10, and it is named on the warrant as "Sherman's Valley." It was sold to Isaac Jones in 1773 and he transferred it to John Shearman, whose patent is dated November 24, 1781. While John Shearman, as stated, was the first person of that name to patent land, the valley had been named long before that and the first settler may have been only a squatter and not have patented land. In fact, when it is referred to as Sherman's or Shearman's Valley and creek as early as 1750 it was impossible to patent land, as the land office for these lands was not opened until February 3, 1755. Egle's "Notes and Queries," page 454, says it was so named for the original settler, but gives no evidence to substantiate the fact, yet the writer is inclined to give credence to that statement, as it looks plausible. < )l actual substantiation, however, there is none. It is even likely that the original name was Sherman and that Shearman is a German corruption, as Shearman has the broad German sound. Page 454, Egle's Notes and Queries, says: "In going over the files of the Carlisle Gazette from 1787 to 1817 we find the original spelling in all references and in official advertisements— so named for one of the early settlers, Jacob Shearman." Horse ]' alley. Horse Valley lies between the Tuscarora and Conoco- cheague Mountains, in western Perry County, within the confines of To- boyne and Jackson Townships. It was so named because the farmers of Path Valley, Franklin County, of which it is an extension, used it as a LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 29 pasture for their horses, before it had been settled. It was once known as McSwine's Valley. Little Illinois Valley. This is a small valley located in Toboyne Town ship. The eastern part is cultivated and the western part is wooded. On the north it is bounded by Rising Mountain and Buck Ridge, which is a continuation of this mountain. On the south is Amberson Ridge and Schultz Ridge, a continuation of Amberson Ridge. It is about seven miles long and a mile wide. Brown's Run drains it. The western end of this valley is locally known as Fowler Hollow. Henry's Valley. Henry's Valley is located in Toboyne and Jackson Townships, between Bower's Mountain and the Kittatinnj or Blue Moun- tain. It is over ten miles long and merges into Sheaffer's Valley. It was named after John Henry, an early settler, who moved to Ohio. It is watered by Laurel Run. Sheaffer's Valley. Sheaffer's Valley is located in Madison and Tyrone Townships, between Bower's Mountain and the Kittatinny or Blue Moun- tain, and is in reality a continuation of Henry's Valley. It is about six miles long and is watered by Laurel Run, in this section sometimes called Patterson's Run. In earlier years there, was a preaching appointment in this valley, and as so many families named Sheaffer resided in the valley the itinerant missionary, in announcing his services referred to it as Sheaf- fer's Valley, and the name stuck. Kennedy's Valley. Kennedy's Valley is located in Tyrone Township, in the cove formed by the folds of the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain, the broad part lying close to Landisburg. Called after the Kennedys, early settlers. Green's Valley. Green's Valley is also located in Tyrone Township, in the small cove formed by a fold of the Blue Mountain. Liberty J 'alley. Liberty Valley lies east of the watershed which runs from the Conococheague to the Tuscarora Mountain, and between these mountains in Madison Township. Raccoon J 'alley. The valley lying between the Tuscarora Mountain and Raccoon Ridge in Tuscarora Township. Sometimes termed the Tuscarora Valley. It is watered by Raccoon Creek, eleven miles in length. Tuscarora J 'alley. See Raccoon Valley, immediately preceding. Mahanoy Valley. The valley in Miller Township located between Mahanoy Ridge and Dick's Hill. Fishing Creek Valley. This valley comprises the most o\ Rye Town- ship and lies between the Blue Mountain and the Cove Mountain. Buffalo }' alley. The name given in early provincial papers to the terri- tory drained by Buffalo Creek, which rises in Liberty Valley, Madison Township, and flows into the Juniata above Newport. Pfouts Valley. The limestone valley which extends from the Juniata River to the Susquehanna River and lies between Wildcat Ridge and Tur- key Hills, or the Juniata County line. One of the earliest points settled after the opening of the land office. Buclnvheat Valley. The valley located between Raccoon Ridge and Hominy Ridge, extending west from the Juniata as far as Eshcol. Big Buffalo Valley. The local name applied to the territory between Hominy Ridge and Middle Ridge. Little Buffalo Valley. Located between Middle Ridge and Buffalo Ridge, sometimes called Furnace Hills. Pleasant Valley. A small valley lying south of Mannsville, its location 'being between Furnace Hills and Limestone Ridge. Perry Valley. Formerly known as Wildcat Valley. It is located in 30 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Greenwood and Liverpool Townships, between Wildcat Ridge and Buffalo Mountain. Wildcat Valley. See Perry Valley, immediately preceding. Hunter's J "alley. Hunter's Valley is a cove formed by the Buffalo and Berry Mountain joining at the west, it lying between the two and wholly within Buffalo Township. Named after the many persons of that name who resided there, James Hunter being the original one. Isaiah Hunter, long afterwards an undertaker at Millerstown, was a grandson. Buck's J 'alley. Early known as Brush Valley. It lies between Berry Mountain and Half Fall Mountain, in Buffalo Township, extending through Howe to Newport on the Juniata River. Its eastern end joins the Sus- quehanna River. Brush Valley. See Buck's Valley, immediately preceding. "Buck Hollow." Located in Toboyne Township, and spoken of by Clay- pole, the geologist, as "the valley without a name." Fishing Rod J'alley. According to an old map, located in Liverpool Township, south of the wooded ridge, separating it from Susquehanna Township, Juniata County. The Cove. The Cove is a geological peculiarity. Professor Claypole says its physical features are entirely due to the presence and direction of the Pocono Sandstone Mountain, which crosses the Susquehanna River at Duncannon under the name of Peters,' or Fourth Mountain, rims to the southwest, then curves around, and, turning eastward at the horseshoe re- turns to the Susquehanna River, which it crosses above Marysville. The Cove is considered the western extremity of the southern angle of the great Pottsville coal basin. It is located in Penn Township. Limestone J'alley. Located between Limestone Ridge and Mahanoy Ridge, starting east of New Bloomfield and running west until it merges into Sherman's Valley near Green Park. Sandy Hollow. Sandy Hollow is located in Carroll Township. It ex- tends from the township's western boundary in a northeasterly direction, for three miles. It is really a continuation of Sherman's Valley, as Sher- man's Creek, after running close to the base of Pisgah Mountain for sev- eral miles, turns sharply to the right, while the valley continues ahead. Features of Distinction. The Perry County territory belongs to one of the more impor- tant drainage systems of the world. The Susquehanna River, north of the Maryland line, including its tributaries, the \\ esl Branch and the Juniata River, drains a territory comprising 21,006 square miles, according to a statement of the Forestry Department of the State of Pennsylvania. Of this immense territory the Wesl Branch drains 6,820 square miles; the North Branch, 5.328; the Susquehanna, from Sunbury to its junction with the Juniata at Duncannon, 1,552; from Duncannon to the Maryland line, 3,895, and the Juniata, 3,411. As the Christmas season comes around with its pleasing mem- ories and happy greetings, with its gay decorations and beautiful holly wreaths everywhere in evidence, being shipped from south- ern climes, few probably know that holly grows as far north and actually within the limits of Perry County; yet Prof. H. Justin Roddy, of the Millersville State Normal School, in his geological LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 31 investigations has found it growing in Greenwood township, 1 the old home of former superintendent of schools, the late Silas Wright. On the old Wesley Soule farm in Centre Township, nol Ear from New Bloomfield, there grows one of the most rare plants to he found in America, known as the "box huckleberry." A man named Miehaux and his son from France, came to this country over a century ago to make botanical discoveries. They were ex- perts in their line and probably discovered and named more plants in America than any others. They described minutely various plants that were later found to be extinct in the districts named and botanists then thought they had been mistaken. Anion- these plants was named the box huckleberry, which had been discovered in the mountains of Virginia, which form a part of the same sys- tem as do the Perry County mountains. None have been found there since, and their discovery was supposed to have been a mis- take or they had become extinct. About 1875 Spencer F. Baird, who later became president of the Smithsonian Institute at Wash- ington, D. C, while making investigations in Pennsylvania, dis- covered the same plant covering a considerable area (about eight acres) on the Soule farm. While the species has been found extinct in Virginia, there is one other small plot of it in the state of Delaware, on the banks of the Indian River, near Millsboro. Prof. E. W. Claypole, the geologist, speaks thus of it: "It appears to be a lingering relic of the ancient flora of the county ; maintaining itself on the sterile hillside of Chemung shale, but liable to be destroyed by cultiva- tion at any time. It is exceeding plentiful, forming a perfect mat over much of the ground, but its limits are sharply defined without apparent cause." This farm, as well as the Andrew Comp farm and others, was warranted by Robert McClay on March 22, 1793, its extent being 436 acres. During 1920, another colony of this famous plant, said to be the oldest living thing on earth, was discovered within the borders of Perry County. It is located on the lands of John Doyle, in Watts Township, not far from the Juniata River, opposite Losh's Run Sta- tion, on the Pennsylvania Railroad. The discovery was made by Mr. H. A. Ward, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, under peculiar circum- stances. Near the colony there is a famous fossil rock, which has been visited by geologists of note from many states. Mr. Ward had accompanied a party of geologists there, they being under the leadership of Dr. Benjamin L. Miller, of Princeton University. Being more interested in plants than fossils, Mr. Miller strayed through the ravines of the Half Falls Hills, and in a short time discovered the mass of low shrubbery with bright, shining leaves, being uniformly about ten inches high. He recognized it as the $2 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA rare box huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera), and upon sending specimens to such authorities as Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, of the U. S. Bureau of Chemistry ; Dr. N. L. Britten, director-in-chief of the New York Botanical Gardens, and Dr. J. P. Bill, a Harvard instructor, found that he was correct, and that he had discovered that which botanists had been seeking for over fifty years. The main colony occupies the northern slope of a ridge for at least a mile, and covers about two hundred feet in width. It is located on the same chain of ridges of Chemung soil as is the colonv at the old Soule property, the two being less than a dozen miles apart. Mr. Ward has since discovered three additional colonies close by. It does not grow from seed, but spreads from the roots, and does not cross streams. Located in Spring Township are the Warm Springs, the tract of land on which they are located being warranted by Solomon I >entler on March 21, 1793. James Kennedy, who was the owner in 1830, erected bath houses there. John Hippie, who had been sheriff of the county from 1826 to 1820. leased the property in 1830 from Kennedy for a ten-year period and erected a building 40x45 feet in size, and other additional bath houses, and in 1831 opened the place as a regular health resort, entertaining those who during previous years had lodged in the surrounding farmhouses. In 1838 Peter Updegraffe, by marriage connected with the owner- ship, was in charge, employing his unoccupied time at farming and conducting a pottery which he had erected. On August 8, T849, H. H. Etter purchased the property, and in 1850 again opened the house to the public. He built a seventy-five-foot extension to the hotel. The property passed to R. M. Henderson and John Hays, of Carlisle, who leased it to various parties until April 4, 1865, when it was destroyed by fire. Then, on April tt, 1866, the Perry Warm Springs Hotel Company was incorporated by A. L. Spon- sler, Robert M. Henderson, John Greason, Jacob Rhecm, John Hays, William T. Dewalt, and John D. Crea (probably Creigh), with a capital stock of $10,000. The resort was again opened, but never attained its former popularity, as the seashore and other resorts which were reached by railroads were then being developed. As late as 1877 lists of guests appeared in the county pres^. For many years it has not been open as a resort. The property later came into the possession of Abram Bower, and in TQ19 it was pur- chased by II. B. Rhinesmith, of New Bloomfield, from the Bower estate. Sulphur springs abound at various places in Perry Count v. notably in Wheat field, Juniata, and Toboyne Townships. According to Prof. E. W. Claypole, an authority on geology, of the Second State Geological Survey, the earliest fish fossils and the LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 53 earliest vertebrates found in any part of the world wen- discov- ered in Perry County, aboul [883, in the Cat skill rock formation. He describes these little prehistoric (ish as not more than -dx inches in length, with thin shields protecting their vital organs. lie says: "In every link the chain of argument is complete, and Perry County now has the honor of contributing to geolog) the oldest indisputable vertebrate animals which the world has yet seen." Further on in his report, he says: "It is a long, long" vista through which we look hack, by the help of geology's telescope, to see these tiny ancestors of our fishes sporting in the Silurian seas. The Tertiary and Secondary rocks abound with fish. Even in our coal measures we find numerous species. The Devonian seas, as I have already mentioned, swarmed with great armor-clad monsters, some of which I have found in Perry County. These lived millions of years ago, and few can realize what a million means. But earlier than all these swam the little hard-shelled Pennsylvania Palaeaspis, as I have called it, in the seas of long ago, before Tuscarora and the Blue Mountains had raised their heads above the waters. To these queer, antiquated forms we must look as the ancestors of some at least of our existing fish, devel- oped by the slow process of nature, by change of environment, by compe- tition in the struggle for existence, and by the inexorable law of the sur- vival of the fittest. The condition of life must then have varied rapidly, for these and every nearly allied form became extinct in Mid-Devouian days ; and when our coal measures were laid down they were already as much out of date and as nearly forgotten as are the armor-clad knights of the Middle Ages at the present time. But the mud of the sea bottom received their carcasses, buried them carefully, and has ever since faith- fully preserved them, if not perfect, yet in a condition capable of being recognized. And to the geologist that same sea bottom, long since dried and turned to stone, now returns these precious remains. The day of their resurrection has come, and the hammer has brought to light from the rocks of Perry County the identical bones entombed, perhaps, twenty million years ago, when its wearer turned on its back, gave up the ghost and sank to the bottom." Prof. Gilbert Wan Ingen, of the Geological Department of Princeton University, assisted by 11. Justin Roddy, has been mak- ing geological investigations throughout Perry County in recent years, and the following extract from a personal letter from him in Kj2i is self-explanatory: Referring to your inquiry regarding the salina beds of Perry County. There is only one item that is worthy of mention in a county history, namely, that the salina beds of Perry County contain remains of the most primitive types of fish known in North America. These were discovered by E. W. Claypole, who described them about 1880, in the vicinity of New Bloomfield, and have since been found by me at a certain horizon in the salina group at several different localities scattered throughout the county. Perry County has practically no minerals. Coal has been found in small quantities on Cove Mountain and on Perry's Mountain in what is known as Pocono sandstone formation, but not in suffi- cient quantities to pay for mining and marketing. 3 34 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA There have been mines in years past of Clinton fossil ore at Tuscarora Mountain, Millerstown; of Marcellus iron ore in small basins of Oriskany sandstone in Limestone Ridge at a place locally known as "Ore Bank Hill," south of Newport, in Miller Township; on Iron Ridge, south and west of the old Perry Fur- nace ; on Mahanoy Ridge, north and west of New Bloomfield ; at Bell's Hill, north and west of "Little Germany"; on Pisgah Mountain, near Oak Grove Furnace; at old Juniata Furnace, west of Newport ; at Girty's Notch, on the Susquehanna, and at various points along the south side of Mahanoy, Crawley's and Dick's Hills, and back from the Susquehanna River at Marysville. The only mineral of value ever mined to any considerable ex- tent was iron ore, and that was principally in the vicinity of Mil- lerstown. Ore was first discovered on lands of Abram Addams, by Peter Wertz, in small quantities. Later the farm descended to Mr. Adams' daughter, Mrs. McDonald, and George Maus began actual operations. They were not worked extensively until 1867, when Beaver, Marsh & Co. operated them and shipped the ore by boat to their furnace at Winfield, Union County. In 1877 James Rounsley, an experienced miner, bought the mines and shipped much ore to that firm as long as their furnace was in operation, or until 1892. They had built the furnace in 1853. The last ore shipped from these mines was in 1903, by Mr. Rounsley. There was another mine located near Millerstown, on the west side of the river. James Lannigan began operations there in 1868 and continued until 1875. James Rounsley purchased these mines also in 1879 and continued their operation until 1901, his continuous mining lasting for twenty-six years. About 1868 the Reading [nm Company operated mines on the Thomas P. Cochran farm, near Millerstown, but did not operate regularly. The Duncannoir hen Company opened the mines on the Perry Kremer farm, on the west side of the river, near Millerstown, in 1868, and operated for about three years. The Reading Company also opened mines on the Jonathan Black farm about 1868 and mined until 1877. Other marts to which this ore was shipped was Lochiel, Reading, and Harrisburg. When the Perry Furnace was in operation the mines on the Dum farm in "Little Germany," Spring Township, employed twelve men. With the blowing out of the charcoal fur- naces throughout Perry County, about the middle of the last cen- tury, these smaller operations ceased. The substitution of coal and coke for charcoal in the iron industry spelled their end, as coal was too far away and the product insufficient to pay. An effort to mine coal in Berry Mountain, near Mt. Patrick, was made by Baltimore capitalists, the McDonald-Downing Co., around the period of the Sectional War. A drift of three hundred feet was made and at that point it was claimed a three-foot vein LOCATION, PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC. 35 of coal was discovered, said to be loo small to operate upon a paying basis. The mouth of the drift is plainly to be seen. An- other statement is that the firm offered a Mr. Matchett, a pros pector, $10,000 for a three-foot vein. An old leg-end is that the Indians once came to a blacksmith shop on what is now the James R. Showaker place, on Shaffer Run, in Toboyne Township, and wanted a horse shod, but were in- formed by the smith that he had no coal, whereupon they left and in a short time returned with the necessary coal. As coal was not then yet in use the story must be only a legend . Coal was dis- covered on the Cove Mountain twenty-five years ago, but not in sufficient quantities. The Perry Forester of May 24, 1827, said "a wry extensive bed of stone coal has been discovered near the mouth of Sherman's Creek, on land belonging to Stephen Dun- can." In 1857 the county press reported "a large vein of coal" discovered on the land of D. Lupfer, one and a half miles west of New Bloomfield. A small vein was once discovered in "Little Germany," Spring Township, but it was only three inches thick, soft and easily crumbled. The great length of the zigzag beds of Lower Heidelberg lime- stone, aggregating 150 miles, which underlie the surface, makes the burning and marketing of lime an industry worth while, at the same time supplying a fertilizer for the soil. Many of these lime kilns date back to the time of the pioneer. While Perry County is practically destitute of minerals, yet there have been several cases of great excitement over their re- ported discovery. Immediately after the close of the Sectional War, in 1865. it was reported that oil had been discovered in Sa- ville Township and two companies were formed for development of the industry. The Snyder Spring Oil Company, with a capital of $50,000, the shares being one dollar each, was formed and leased the farms then owned by Godfrey Burket and William Sny- der. The Coller Oil Company leased the lands at the headwaters of Buffalo Creek. It had a capital of $100,000, the shares being of a par value of five dollars. Of course, oil was never found. During 1920 another company was organized, principally by per- sons from outside the county, to prospect for oil in IYrr\ and Cumberland Counties. They arc now sinking their first well near Landisburg. Crossing Perry County to the smith is a remarkable geological trap-dyke formation known as [ronstone Ridge. Nine miles west of Marysville it makes a watershed across Rye Township and its outcroppings continue clear across Cumberland County .and are visible in York County, it is probably two hundred feet wide. Three others cross Rye and Penn Townships. Of these a much smaller one than the one described runs about five hundred yards 36 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA east. Two others cross the Cove slightly northeast, one of which, passing Duncannon, runs across Wheatfield and Watts Townships. They cut mountains and valleys at right angles. Local tradition would have this most prominent trap-dyke, crossing Rye Town- ship, as extending clear south to Tennessee, but Clavpole, the geolo- gist, whose position as an authority has never been questioned, has it end in York County. Samuel J. Tritt, for twenty years county surveyor of Cumberland County, who did much surveying in Perry County, also recognized it as first becoming conspicuous in Rye Township, and as extending across Cumberland to the Susque- hanna River in York County. Clavpole tells us: "Trap-dykes are ancient cracks in the earth, filled from below by lava, which has hardened into rock. They must be of great depth, for they can be traced along the present surface of the earth for a great distance. The trap-dyke described by Dr. Frazer, in his report on Lancaster County, runs in a straight line (N. R.) forty miles. Many others exist in Adams, York, Lancaster, Dauphin. Lebanon, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks Counties, and in middle and northern New Jersey, southern New York, and New England. "The most remarkable of them all starts in the South Moun- tains, and runs in a nearly straight line across Cumberland County (between Mechanicsburg and Carlisle), crossing the Blue Moun- tain two miles east of Sterrett's Gap." This is the "Ironstone Ridge" spoken of above. Claypole further says: "At the earliest date to which geology can point back with tolerable certainty in the history of what is now Perry County, the interior of the North American continent was an ocean of unknown extent into which was borne the sand and mud of neighboring lands, swept down by the rivers of that distant age to make the beds of rock which to-day compose the solid land of the United States. The history of this process is written in the rocks." At another place the noted geologist, speaking of an unusual feature, says: "The volcanic rocks of Perry County may seem strange, but it has long been known that in the southeast of the county occur some rocks of very peculiar nature, totally different from any others. They cut across the line of the bedded rocks quite regardless of their direction. They are very heavy, intensely lough, and highly charged with iron. They are in effect what the geologist calls 'trap-rocks,' what the miner calls 'elvans.' They are composed of material that has been fused, and forced in a fused condition into and between the other rocks, filling up cracks and cavities and baking and hardening by its heat and strata through which it flowed. When cooled the fluid matter became hard, and is now known as intrusive or trap-rock." CHAPTER II. EARLIEST RECORDS OF INDIAN INHABITANTS. WHEN Christopher Columbus, in October, [492, discovered the Western Continent, which was the preliminary act in the development of this great nation, the lands which now comprise the county of Perry— in Pennsylvania— were, according to all traditions, inhabited by the swarthy, copper-colored race. from that day to be generally spoken of as Indians, on account of the discoverer's mistaken idea that he had crossed the world to the eastern shores of India. When the first settlements were made in Pennsylvania by the Dutch (not to he misconstrued as referring to the Germans) in [623, when it was later occupied by the Swedes, the Dutch again, the English, and eventually in 1682 by William Penn and the Quakers, the outlying sections of which Perry was naturally a part, were evidently overrun by these wild tribes, although almost two hundred years had elapsed since the discovery of America. Then for another period of a half century little is known, ex- cept that which comes to us through the misty veil of years and which for want of a better name is known as tradition. About that time, however, the outlying settlements had pushed west to the Susquehanna, and an occasional manuscript, a diary, a letter or a record of one kind or another has been found and preserved, so that one can get a glimpse into the lives of the Indians and the hardy pioneers on the lands which were later to become the county of Perry. If any other nationality than the English under Penn had set- tled in Pennsylvania, Perry County would probably not have ad- vanced nearly as rapidly as it did. as the English-speaking people were then as now, the advance agents of civilization. It is signifi- cant that those old English charters gave title to die land straight *The chapters of this book relating to the Indians have been passed upon by Dr. George P. Donehoo, of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, noted authority upon Indian History and secretary of the Pennsylvania Historical Com- mission, and later, November, 1921, appointed State Librarian of Pennsyl- vania, by Governor Sproul. Common or popular usage adds the "s" to Indian names, thus Dela- wares, Tuscaroras, although the names Delaware, Tuscarora, etc., as ap- plied to Indian tribes, is already plural, being applied to a tribe, according to scientific writers. Not belonging to the latter class of writers it has been thought best to add the "s" in this book, as do even many noted writers. 37 38 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA across the continent from ocean to ocean. The following para- graph from George Sydney Fisher's "The Making of Pennsylva- nia," well illustrates this : "In nothing is the difference in nationality so distinctly shown. The Dutchman builds trading posts and lies in his ship off shore to collect the furs. The gentle Swede settles on the soft, rich meadow lands, and his cattle wax fat and his barns are full of hay. The Frenchman enters the forest, sympathizes with its inhabitants, and turns half savage to please them. All alike bow before the wilderness and accept it as a fact. But the Englishman destroys it. He grasped at the continent from the beginning, and but for him the oak and the pine would have triumphed and the prairies still be in possession of the Indian and the buffalo." No lands in the world advance and prosper as do those of the English-speaking nations, and be it remembered that among the English-speaking- people the American is always in the van. One of the earliest records of Indian affairs in Pennsylvania is the "Jesuit Relations of 1659," which tells of a tradition of a ten years' war between the Mohawks and the Pennsylvania Indians, in which the latter almost exterminated the Mohawks. This was before either could obtain firearms. To .Captain John Smith, of Virginia, posterity is indebted for the very first description, by a white man, of the Indians of the interior of Pennsylvania. Pow- hatan had told him of a mighty nation which dwelt here which "did eat men." Smith says: "Many kingdoms he described to me to the head of the bay, which seemed to be a mighty river, issuing from mighty mountains betwixt two seas." On the east of the bay Smith found an Indian who understood the language of Pow- hatan, and he was dispatched up the river to bring down some of them. In a few days sixty of these "gyant-like people" ap- peared. Smith called all the country Virginia, and from a descrip- tion by the Indians he drew a map. which is the oldest map of any inland parts of Pennsylvania. He locates five Indian towns, the second lowest down being designated "Attaock," a branch which corresponds to the Juniata. This was probably the Indian village later known as Juniata, on Duncan's Island, further de- scribed in the chapter devoted to that island. He described the river as "cometh three or four days from the head of the bay." These Indians were supposed to be of the Andaste tribes, using dialects of the throat-speaking Iroquois. Smith's description tells of their "hellish voice, sounding from them as a voice in a vault." The Iroquois used no lip sounds, but spoke from the throat with an open mouth. Along the shores of the bay Smith found the natives all fearful of the "great-water men," who principally dwelt along the Potomac and the Susquehanna and "had so many boats and so many men that they made war with all the world." Smith KAKUKST KI'.CORDS OF INDIAN INHABITANTS 39 met seven canoeloads of these men at the head "i the bay, bu1 failed to understand a word spoken. Karly Virginia historians presumed them to be of the Mohawk tribe, the ancestors of the Five Nations, which conclusion is a matter of question and prob- ably wrong. The first white man to enter what is now the state of Pennsyl- vania was Etienne Brule, a Frenchman associated with Champlain, who was making explorations in Canada even before the English had entered Virginia. Brule went southward through New York to obtain aid from a body of Susquehannocks in an attack against "A mighty River, Issuing From Mighty Mountains, Betwixt Two Seas." ■ — Capt. John Smith. (See page 38.) a stronghold of the Iroquois. Failing to find Champlain, he re- mained in northern Pennsylvania through the winter. Tart oi the time he spent in making expeditions to the south. He left a description of the Susquehanna River, which he made down to the bay. He accordingly must have crossed Pennsylvania. In that case he traveled through it at least a century before any other white man. A paper map found at the Hague in 1841 illustrates the travels of three Dutch settlers from Albany in i6rq, who came down the Susquehanna and crossed to the Lehigh and the Delaware, being captured by the Minequas. Their map locates a tribe called "Iottecas," west of the Susquehanna, in the vicinity of the Juniata River. In 1655 a man named Visscher published a map, in Am- 4 o HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA sterdam, of New Netherlands, in which he almost accurately places the Susquehanna, but without any West Branch or Juniata. Dur- ing the next fifty years about fifteen maps appeared, all having practically the same river outline. On all of them just where the Juniata belongs, there is the name of a tribe called "Onojutta Haga," the first part of the name meaning a projecting stone, and the "Haga" being the Mohawk word for people or tribe. They were a superior race and lived largely by the cultivation of the soil. When the Dutch began selling firearms to the Iroquois, or Five Nations, about 1640, they started a military conquest which ex- tended as far west as the Mississippi. Among those destroyed or subdued and incorporated into their own tribes were the Andaste tribes in Pennsylvania, which among others included the "Standing Stone" Indians on the Juniata. By 1676 all were exterminated. The Iroquois then claimed all the lands of the Susquehanna and its branches, selling to William Penn and his heirs at different times what they had gained by conquest. While negotiating for the sale of lands as early as 16S4 the Iroquois spoke of the entire region as "the Susquehanna River, which we won with the sword." In 1736 Thomas Penn, then governor, acknowledged their right by these words: "The lands on Susquehanna, we believe, belong to the Six Nations by the conquest of the Indian tribes on that river." The entire region, which of course included what is now Perry County, was then a vast deserted space until such time as the Tus- caroras were allowed to settle there. The Delaware's and Shaw- nees later were allowed to settle, the Delawares coming in between 1720 and 1730. During this period not even a trader or pioneer had ventured there and through this veil of obscurity comes no record whatsoever of this time. However, the tribal records of the Hurons and the Iroquois tell of vast numbers of prisoners being brought to their New York towns from the South, as many as six hundred at a time, and the inference is that the tribes in- habiting this section were among the captives. The Tuscaroras had been defeated and driven from their former abode, and they claimed that the colonists were selling their chil- dren into slavery. About 17 13 or 1714, they came from the South, and settled, with the consent of the Five Nations, "on the Juniata, in a secluded interior, not far from the Susquehanna River." At a conference with Governor Hunter, of New York, September 20, 1714, a Chief of the Iroquois, said, "We acquaint you that the Tuscarora Indians are come to shelter themselves among the Five Nations." The great path or trail to the southwest was known as the "Tus- carora Path," when the first traders came, and this tribe's principal settlements were likely responsible for that name, as they were EARLIEST RECORDS OF INDIAN 1X1 1. MUTANTS 4 t located in Tuscarora Valley, now in [uniata County; in I'atli Val- ley, now in Franklin County, and in what is now Perry County, principally in Raccoon Valley. These lands head not been occupied for from a half to three quarters of a century, or since the con- quesl by the Five Nations. According to Samuel G. Drake, an Indian antiquarian, "the Tuscaroras from Carolina joined them (the Five Nations) about 1712, but were not formally admitted into the confederacy until about ten years after that ; this gained them the name of the Six Nations." They were sometimes known as Mingoes. In all the Albany conferences dated from 1714 to 1722 in which the members of the Five Nations participated the Tuscaroras are not mentioned. After this probationary period of probably ten years on the Juniata, where most of them lived, they were formally assigned a portion of the Oneida territory and had their council-house east of Syracuse. New York. However, all the Tuscaroras did not migrate to New York, some choosing to remain on the Juniata. In 1730 there is record of "three Tus- karorows missing at Pechston" (Paxtang), now Harrisburg. Even to the time of the Albany purchase of the lands north of the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain, in 1754, some of the tribe still in- habited the district. In a letter from John O'Neal to the governor dated at Carlisle. May 2y, 1753, is the statement : "A large number of Delawares, Shawnees and Tuscaroras continue in this vicinity — the greater number having gone to the West." As early as 1725 the Conestogas and the Shawnees had begun working their way westward along the Juniata and the West Branch of the Sus- quehanna. Among the reports and records of Fort Duquesne was found the following, dated September 15, 1756: "Two hundred Indians and French left Fort Duquesne to set fire to four hundred houses in a part of Pennsylvania. That prov- ince has suffered but little in consequence of the intrigues of the Five Nations with Taskarosins, a tribe on the lands of that prov- ince, and in alliance with the Five Nations. But now they have declared that they will assist their brethren, the Delawares. and Chouanons (Shawnees), and consequently several have sided with them, so that the above province will be laid waste the same as Virginia and Carolina." According to that, some were still there in 1756. About 1730 some Scoth-Irish, who had crossed the Susque- hanna, settled in what was then termed the "Kittochtinny or North Valley, near Falling Springs." This was the Cumberland Valley of the present, and the place called Falling Springs was not the settlement by that name in Perry County, but was where the pres- ent town of Chambersburg stands. This is the first settlement 42 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA west of the Susquehanna of which there is record. The woods were then full of Indians. As George Croghan, the interpreter, who knew the languages of the Shawnees and the Delawares, located in Cumberland County in 1742, the presence of those tribes here is indicated. The Delawares were known among themselves as the Leni Lenape tribe. According to their tradition they were one of two great peoples who inhabited the entire country, the other being the Mingoes. As the names Juniata and Oneida are derived from the same source the contention is advanced that the Oneidas may have in- habited the Juniata Valley, but according to authorities there is nowhere any evidence to bear out that fact. An Indian trail led westward along the Susquehanna and Juni- ata Rivers, crossing the former near what is now Clark's Ferry, at Duncannon; another led over the Kittatinny or Blue Moun- tain at what was then Croghan's (now Sterrett's) Gap, and a third led over the same mountain at McClure's Gap, the two latter cross- ing the Tuscarora Mountain. That via Sterrett's Gap was known as "the Allegheny Path," the first great highway to the West. The first white men to enter Perry County territory came over these routes, and the men were known as traders, whose vocation necessitated their going westward as far as the Ohio. There are evidences that these men were traders even before there is record of it. There are some recorded statements pertaining to their operations, but traders then, as now, do not belong to the class which reduce events to writing. One of them was George Croghan, whose name was given to Sterrett's Gap. Croghan first lived in what was later to become Cumberland County, about five miles from Harris' Ferry (now Harrisburg), and afterwards on the mountain at the Gap, near where the old tavern or road-house stood later. Still later he took up his residence at Aughwick, near Mount Union, in Huntingdon County. As early as 1747 he is mentioned as a "considerable trader." He was well acquainted with the Indian country and with the paths and trails. He continually used the one via the Kittatinny and Tuscarora Mountains, from which one would infer that it was at least preferable to the others. He served the pro- vincial government by convoying expeditions westward for them. He was associated much with Conrad Weiser, the Indian inter- preter, and of them there is more further on in this book. The scope of this book is not wide enough to go into all the details of the often fraudulent, crafty and deceptive actions of Mime of the pioneers, traders and officials in dealing with the In- dians, which in a general way might be said to have been largely responsible for much of the heart-rending suffering of the white EARLIEST RECORDS OF INDIAN INHABITANTS 43 settlers and many of the sickening massacres perpetrated upon them. With every setting of the sun the aborigines saw their domain dwindling before the oncoming tide of white pioneers, their favorite hunting grounds encroached upon and the very streams from which came much of their subsistence marred by the building of mill dams. Constantly impressed with such con- ditions, but a spark was often needed to light the flame of resent- ment which left death and destruction in its wake. Of Our Indian Inhabitants. The reader is familiar with the life and habits of the American Indian ; and from what can be learned in reference to the tribes which dwelt on what is now Perry County soil, they were the exact counterpart of the average member of that race in industry, cruelty and all the other characteristic traits to which they were heir. They hunted and fished for a living, and the territory now em- braced in Perry County was noted as a famous hunting ground, evidences of that fact being recorded in provincial records and mentioned in various places in this volume. The only evidences of their industry were the locations of several patches of Indian corn and beans which the women raised. Their skin was red or copper-colored, their hair coarse and black, and they had high cheek bones. The males were seldom corpulent, were swift of foot, quick with bow and arrow and later with firearms, and very skillful in the handling of canoes. Their home was the tepee or wigwam, a few in after years having log huts. These tepees were a number of poles or saplings covered with skins of animals, the only heat afforded being from fires built upon the ground. Their only clothing was of skins, which they had a method of curing so that they were soft and pliable and which they often ornamented with paint and beads made from shells. Their moc- casins were of deer skin and were without heels. The females often bedecked themselves with mantles made of feathers, over- lapping each other similar to their appearance on fowls. Their dress was of two pieces, a shirt of leather, ornamented with fringe, and a skirt of the same material fastened about the waist by a belt. Their hair they made into a thick, heavy plait, which they let hang down the back. Their heads they usually ornamented with bands of wampum or with a small skull cap. The men went bareheaded, with their hair fantastically trimmed, each to his own fancy. The white man, with all his knowledge, has never been able to excel the Indian method of tanning, the result of which was softness and pliability. The aborigines had a peculiar idea of government. They were absolutely free, acknowledged no master, and yielded obedience to a 44 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA law only in so far as they chose, and yet there existed a primitive system of government which was a faint type of that of our pres- ent great republic. They worshiped no graven image, but spoke of "the great spirit" and the "happy hunting grounds." While their ideas of a future were indistinct, yet they possessed a belief in a hereafter. They had much reverence for the forces of nature and measured time by the sun and the moon. They had rude villages, one of which lay opposite the west end of Duncannon, on Duncan's Island, known as "Choiniata," or "Juneauta," which is known to have existed as late as 1745, the story of. which appears in the chapter devoted to Duncan's and llaldeman's Islands. In searching Indian historical data and tra- dition the knowledge that there was an Indian village in western Terr}- territory, probably near Cisna's Run, appeared somewhat vaguely. While it is impossbile at this late day to locate it ex- actly, it is practically certain that it was located on lands owned by the late George Bryner and W. II. hoy, at Cisna's Run, as it was on the north side of Sherman's Creek, on a branch of that creek, surrounding or near a deep spring. On Mr. Loy's lands, 'most against the Bryner line. Cedar Spring, five feet deep, is located. Mrs. Jacob hoy, -of Blain, well up in years, had as an actual fact from her people, the location of this village. When the writer visited the location, in midsummer of 1919, Mr. Bryner was yet living and pointed out a mound, near the Sherman's Val- ley Railroad, which resembled a small knoll. From William Adair, an aged man who died many years ago, Mr. Bryner learned that it was once the site of an Indian log hut which he had seen in his youth, probably a lone reminder of the old Indian village. A neighborhood story connected with an Indian woman that lived in this hut, the last of her clan in the district, follows: She called on a neighbor, a Mrs. Cisna. grandmother of the late Dr. William R. Cisna, who resided near by. Mrs. Cisna. alter washing her hands, mixed the ingredients, and kneading the meal proceeded to bake corn bread, inviting her copper-colored caller to remain for tea, which she did. Shortly afterwards Mrs. CiMia returned the call and was invited to dine. She accepted, and the Indian lady also washed her hands and proceeded to mix the ingredients for corn bread, but mixed them in the water in which she had washed her hands. Not wishing to offend one of the race, Mrs. Cisna ate of this 'Sanitary" production and, not- withstanding, lived to a ripe old age. Between the Bryner and Loy homes and Sherman's Creek, oppo- site the point where the Moose mill is located, was an Indian corn- field. It is a bottom field, lying by the creek, and is as level as a floor. The evidence that this location was thickly populated at one time by the Indians is not only passed down by spoken word and EARLIEST RECORDS OF INDIAN [NHABITANTS 45 records, but even in the year this is written — [919 Ex-County Commissioner A. K. Bryner (since deceased), while plowing a truck patch for his brother, containing less than two acres, found a half dozen of line specimens of Endain arrowheads, which arc in the possession of the writer. In the past few years he has also found an Indian tomahawk. Indian tannin- stones, skinning stone-. many arrowheads, etc. Some years ago, in the same vicinity, William Adair, the father of Ex-County Commissioner James EC. Adair, plowed up an Indian soapstone pot, a very rare specimen. The latter curiosity was unearthed on the farm now owned by A. N. Lyons. The Lyons or old Adair farm, the Bryner and Loy farms, and the dee]) spring are all on the location of the old Indian trail, known to later generations as the "bridle path," still descernible on Bowers' Mountain, opposite Cisna's Run, from whence it crossed westward to Kistler and around the foot of Conococheague Mountain to Juniata County and the West. They were, generally speaking, a lazy, listless people, addicted to the use of rum, which they knew as "walking stick," and lived on game, fish and mussels, the Susquehanna River at that time being prolific of the two last named products. Indian cornmeal was their only grain product, their method of grinding it being with a bowl and stones. With the coming of the early trader a market was created at their door for the skins from their game, for furs for the fair sex. The pay was often in trinkets and gaudy fabrics for which the red man had a fancy, sometimes in rum. and even in money, hut often the latter went for rum in the end. In the chapter on Duncan's and Haldeman's Islands there is a lengthy description of their mode of life by Rev. Brainerd, a missionary who spent much time among them. In the chapter dealing with Simon Girty much more of Indian life is to be learned. When the pioneers settled the county a few Indians refused to follow their tribes in leaving their homes — just as many older people of the present day object to locating in new sections in the latter years of their lives — and remained. The Indian woman mentioned above as being located at Cisna's Run, was one of these, and an old Indian, known as "Indian John," who lived near the Warm Springs, in Carroll Township, was another. lie used to trade at the store of Thomas Lebo, at the point which later became Lebo post office, and is said to have been a very old man. At various places in this hook are recorded the taking oi cap- trade at the store of Thomas Lebo, at the point which later became now owned by Mrs. Charles McKeehan, located between Blain and , New Germantown, which was warranted and settled by John Rhea, who sold it to a family named 1 lunter, from whom the early 46 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Briners purchased it in 1809. During an Indian invasion of the valley two of the Hunter children, a boy and a girl, were cap- tured by red men. The girl escaped during the following night and returned, but the boy never came back. Long years after- wards he wrote to George Black, a neighbor, from the far West, making inquiry as to the disposition of his father's estate. George Conner, a black-haired child who was favored by the Indians dur- ing his captivity, was captured near Landisburg, but later escaped. He was the ancestor of Mrs. Garland, of Landisburg. The Indian was the earliest road builder, but his building con- sisted of making a mere path through the brush either in the most direct line or by the line of least resistance. Evidences of the old Indian trails yet remain, as described under the chapter devoted to trails and roads. Located along one of these old trails over Tuscarora Mountain is a large boulder, weighing many tons and of a size that would fill a large room of an ordinary house, known as "Warrior Rock," famous in legend and story. They also had a line of trails following the mountain tops, so that their per- spective was greater. These they used in troublesome periods. At various places in the county there are old Indian burial places which would substantiate the fact that Indian villages were once located in those vicinities. There is one at Saville post office, in Saville Township. This place was formerly known as Lane's Mill and was a great hunting and fishing ground for the aborigines. Those located here are supposed to have been the ones which came back to the county and did the attacking on the McMillen place, near Kistler. An old legend tells of their getting lead near by for the points of their arrows when they needed it, but if so, their fol- lowers — the pale face — has failed to locate it. Several men well up in years by the name of Elliott, who were Indian traders, re- sided in the locality, from whom descended David Elliott, D.D., LL.D., the noted divine. There is also legendary evidence of an Indian burial ground at Blain, at the old Presbyterian cemetery. Many arrowheads are found in the vicinity and a few years ago, in excavating- for a grave, two skulls were found placed against each other, the skele- tons extending in opposite directions. Tradition has it that that was the Indian custom of interment, thus affording ^ome evidence of the location of the Indian burial place at this point. Arrow- heads are found even to this day along Sherman's Creek, at New Germantown, Blain, Landisburg, Shermansdale and at many other points. Also at Millerstown and Duncan's Island, in the Juniata River territory. On Quaker Ridge, near the Warm Springs, in Spring Township, there is an Indian grave surrounded by pine trees. The aged resi- dents of the vicinity also recall the legend of the three Indian EARLIEST RECORDS OF INDIAN INHABITANTS 47 graves on the old Burrell farm, in Carroll Township, now owned l»\ Willis Duncan. Near the celebrated Gibson Rock, along Sher- man's Creek, is a spring', known to this day as Indian Spring. According to a legend six soldiers sent from the garrison at Car- lisle during the Indian uprisings, were waylaid there and murdered. John Clendenin, a settler in what is now Toboyne Township, was killed and scalped by the Indians near the site of the old Monterey tannery. One of the saddest of all the abductions from Perry County territory was the case of two children from the George Kern farm, bordering New Germantown, in Toboyne Township. Simon Kern, the ancestor, had come from his home in Holland and had located on the farm mentioned. Two small Kern girls were helping work in the fields when lurking Indians car- ried them away. They traveled a considerable distance when they were overtaken by night. During the night one of the little girls managed to escape while her captors slept and returned to her people. The other remained an Indian captive. Tradition tells of a woman from the stockade at Fort Robinson returning to the farm opposite — the McClure farm — and of her being killed and scalped by lurking redskins. * According to James B. Hackett, long a resident of New Bloom- field, whose father was once a resident of Madison Township, there was an interesting tradition connected with his father's tract of land there which was later owned by Noble Meredith. A man named James Dixon had first located it, but had been driven out by the Indians, and then took up a tract in Centre Township. John Mitchell then warranted it January 28, 1763. Three Indians are supposed to be buried there, and men of the present generation had the graves, then already overgrown mounds, pointed out to them in their early years. On this tract, according to this tradi- tion, was buried a pot or kettle of gold by a squaw, received in return for English scalps turned over to the French. It is sup- posed to have been left by the Indians when they were hastily driven out. Evidently this story is a mere legend, as the red men were too crafty to tell their white brethren their personal and tribal affairs. Wright's History names Millerstown as the scene of "either a long residence or probably a fierce battle between the Delaware's and the immigrating Shawnees," adding "the location of the con- flict was no doubt near the canal bridge, for they were interred in a wide and deep mound, west of the house now the residence of Mrs. Oliver, and found by the workmen who dug the canal." Mentioning an Indian village at or near Newport and one at Mil- lerstown, it says: "These were the only Indian villages in Perry County." As the soil which is now comprised in Perry County was inhabited at different times by different tribes, and as Indian 4 ' vear — i s the date upon which the land office opened at Lancaster "for the settlement of the lands which now form the county oi Perry. The Indian nations were divided. Sir William Johnston had induced the Mohawks, the Tuscaroras and the Oneidas to take sides with the British, and the Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas, to remain neutral — a difficult job. Many of the Canadian Iro- quois, however, went over to the French. Of the Susquehannas, Delawares and Shawnees, a part, influenced by Logan, John Thachnechtoris, Scarrooyady, Paxnons, The Belt, Zigarea and Andrew Montour, remained true to the Colonies, offering to estab- 68 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA lish a post at Shamokin against the French; but part of them took up the hatchet. In the latter part of 1754 the disposition of the French toward the frontiers was very threatening, and it was proposed to remove the Indians from Aughwick, in what is now Huntingdon County, to the month of the Juniata. The opinion of George Croghan, the Indian agent then located at Aughwick, was sought, and his reply is reproduced here as showing that the settlers at the mouth of the Juniata River were principally traders. It follows: "As to moving the Indians to the month of the Juniata, I think it a very improper place, for this reason : it is settled with a set of white men that make their living by trading with the Indians that is settled on the river Susquehanna and sells them little else but spirits, so that it would be impossible to keep these Indians from spending all their clothing and then they would be forever teasing your honor for goods. Indeed it is my opinion that were they to live in any part of the inhabitance, it would be attended with bad consequences, as there is no keeping them from being in- flamed with liquor if they can get at it, cost what it will ; besides it is dangerous for fear of their getting sickness ; then they would say the white people killed them, and while they stay here they are a defense to the back inhabitants, which I think lays very open to the enemy, and I think if the government intends to build any fortifications for the security of the back inhabitants that this place or some place hereabouts is the properest place." As this was the year of the Albany purchase of these lands, and as the land office was not yet opened for settlement, the location of these traders was evidently on Duncan's Island, then known as Juniata Island, which was included in an earlier purchase by Penn. Late in October, 1755, the Indians appeared in the neighborhood of Shamokin, and early in November committed several murders of whites under peculiarly cruel and barbarous circumstances. Not only those on the immediate frontier, but also those farther to the heart of the settled part of the province were in constant dread of the savages. A proclamation signed by nine prominent citizens advised all to repair to the frontiers and be prepared for the "worst event." The George Gabriel's mentioned in their proc- lamation was located "below the forks of the Susquehanna, about thirty miles of Harris' Ferry, on the west side of the river," ac- cording to Rupp. The proclamation: Paxton, Oct. 31, 1755- From John Harris' at 12 p.m. To all his majesty's subjects in the Province of Pennsylvania, or else- where: Whereas, Andrew Montour, Belt of Wampum, two Mohawks, and other Indians came down this day from Shamokin (where Sunbury is now located), who say the whole body of Indians or the greatest part of them in the French interest, is actually encamped on this side George Gabriel's, near Susquehanna; and that we may expect an attack in three INTRUDING SETTLERS EVICTED 69 days at farthest; and a French fort to be begun at Sbamokin in ten days hence. Tho' this be the Indian report; we the subscribers, do give it as our advice to repair immediately to the frontiers with all our forces to intercept their passage into our country, and be prepared in the best manner possible for the worst event. Witness our hands. James Galbreath, John Allison, Barney Hughes, Robert Wallace, John Harris, James Pollock, James Anderson, William Work, Patrick Henry. P. s'. They positively affirm that the above named Indians discovered a party of the enemy at Thomas McKee's upper place on the 30th of October last. Mona-ca-too-tha, the Belt, and other Indians here, insist upon Mr. Weiser's coming immediately to John Harris' with his men, and to council with the Indians. Before me, James Galbreath. That the matter of calling forth the above proclamation was urgent is attested by the fact that the latter part of the date line shows it to have been despatched at an unusual hour, "From John Harris' at 12 p. m.," is the inscription, and it was likely sent by courier, or as the provincial authorities termed it, "by express." The above is from the provincial records and also establishes the fact that Thomas McKee had two places, a fact which has confused many writers. McKee was an Indian trader and is men- tioned in many records, one being in an earlier chapter of this book, where he was one of a party to help hunt for the murderers of John Armstrong. That he was one of these men would imply that he probably made his headquarters at the lower place, which was at Peters' Mountain, opposite Duncannon ; in fact his name frequently appears in matters pertaining to the lower location. The upper location was where McKee's Half Falls is, that place taking its name from him. The "places" were likely trading posts for the exchange of goods and possibly also stopping places for travelers, but the latter is hardly likely, as the country was too little settled to require such accommodation. People yet living remember when Harry McKee, a descendant, owned the farm at the end of Peters' Mountain. He later kept a hotel at the east end of Clark's Ferry bridge. McKee's store, mentioned in many provincial documents, was near Peters' Mountain, and further proof of the fact is contained in Rupp's History, page 314, where it is stated that William Clap- ham, commandant at Fort Halifax, wrote Governor Morris, July 1, 1756, saying he would leave a sergeant and twelve men at Harris', twenty-four at Hunter's Fort, twenty-four at McKee's store, each in command of an ensign, and Captain Miles and thirty-seven men at Fort Halifax, naming the points in order coming up the river. CamerhorT, the Moravian bishop, on January 13, 1748, after •being at one of McKee's places, described him thus: "McKee ■jo HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA holds a captain's commission under the government; is an exten- sive Indian trader; bears a good name among them, and drives a brisk trade with the Allegheny country." McKee's wife was either a white woman who had been reared among the Indians or was herself an Indian, probably the former. There is record that she conld speak little English. Various stories appear in historical works as to her origin. Certain it is that, if she were even reared among the Indians to her must be credited the half -savage nature of Alexander McKee — son of Captain Thomas — who was the fel- low renegade of Simon Girty. His rearing among the Indians, where his father traded, probably also contributed to it. He was George Croghan's assitant at Pittsburgh as Deupty Indian Agent to the British. When a lad at the store below Peters' Mountain he probably became acquainted with young Simon Girty, who lived a tew miles below. The reader is referred to the chapter on Simon Girty for further description of the younger McKee. In a letter* addressed to "Mr. Peters, Secretary of the Prov- ince, dated Conococheague, Nov. 2, 1755, John Potter, sheriff of Cumberland County, after telling of the great Indian massacres in Great Cove (now Bedford County), says: 'I am much afraid that Juniata, Tuscarora and Sheerman's Valley hath suffered ; there are two-thirds of the inhabitants of this valley who have already fled, leaving their plantations ; and without speedy suc- cour be granted I am of the opinion this county will be laid deso- late and be without inhabitants. Last night I had a family of up- wards of an hundred women and children, who fled for succour. You can form no just idea of the distress and distracted condition of our inhabitants, unless you saw and heard their cries.' " In a letter also dated November 2, 1755, to Governor Morris, signed by John Armstrong, f is this: "We have sent our ex- presses everywhere and intend to collect the forces of this lower part ; expecting the enemy at Sheerman's Valley, if not nearer at hand. I am of the opinion that no other means than a chain of block houses along or near the south side of the Kittatinny Moun- tain, from Susquehanna to the temporary line, can secure the lives and properties even of the old inhabitants of this county, the new settlements being all fled, except those of Sheerman's Valley whom, it God do not preserve, we fear, will suffer very soon. I am your honor's disconsolate, humble servant," etc. The only man, as far as official records show, who inhabited the territory which is now Perry County, to fight in the French and Indain W r ar with the army was Andrew Montour, the Indian agent and trader, who resided on Sherman's Creek, near where *Rupp's History. fProvincial Records. INTRUDING SF.TTLERS EVICTED 71 Montour's run empties into it. In one of his official communi- cations to Governor Morris, Braddock says he has forty or fifty Indians with him and has taken into the service Andrew Montour and George Croghan. Coming from such a source it is evidently not only official hut authentic. Another man, Alexander Stephens, who later resided in Perry County territory, and became a captain in the Revolution, was a soldier in this war and was present at Braddock's defeat. He was a private in Capt. Joseph Shippen's company of Col. William Clapham's regiment. Most of the Indians deserted the Braddock expedition, and with some reason. Braddock advanced with great pomp and his method of fighting was had, in so far as Indian warfare was con- cerned. Scarroyady, a chief, in an address to the Provincial Council, said : "It is now well known to you how unhappily we have been defeated by the French near Minongelo (Monongahela). We must let you know that it was the pride and ignorance of that great general that came from England. He is now dead ; but he was a bad man when he was alive ; he looked upon us as dogs, and would never hear anything that was said to him. We often endeavored to advise him and to tell him the danger he was in with his soldiers ; but he never appeared pleased with us, and that was the reason that a great many of our warriors would not be under his command." The following letter shows that Montour was mistrusted, and also illustrates the distressed condition of the territory at that period : "Carlisle, Sunday Night, November 2, 1755. "Dear Sir: Inclosed to Mr. Allen, by the last post, I sent you a letter from Harris', but I believe forgot, through that day's confusion, to di- rect it. "You will see our melancboly circumstances by the governor's letter and my opinion of the method of keeping the inhabitants in this county, which will require all possible despatch. If we had immediate assurance of relief a great number would stay ; and the inhabitants should be advertised not to drive off, nor waste their beef cattle, &c. I have not so much as sent off my wife, fearing an ill precedent, but must do it now, I believe, together with the public papers and your own. "There are no inhabiants on Juniata, nor on Tuscarora by this time, my brother William being just come in. Montour and Monaghatootha are going to the governor. The former is greatly suspected of being an enemy in his heart — 'tis hard to tell — you can compare what they say to the governor to what I have wrote. I have no notion of a large army, but of great danger from scouting parties. John Armstrong." Indian Massacres on County Soil. With the defeat of General Braddock in western Pennsylvania by the French and Indians on July 9, 1755, the Indians took the ■ji HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA warpath and laid waste all outlying' settlements. The land office tor the settlement of these lands had only opened the third day of the preceding February and the new settlers were unable to locate in the territory until the coming of spring. They had cleared a few acres of land on which was growing their first crop when the Braddock defeat occurred. Evidently learning of the outrages of Indians elsewhere a brave family named Robinson,* the father's name being George Robin- son, and their neighbors erected a log fort and stockade on a tableland of the Robinson farm for the protection of the citi- zens in case of attack by the Indians. That it was built during this first year of the settlement of Perry County soil is attested by Robert Robinson in his narrative telling of the Woolcomber tragedy along Sherman's Creek. According to Rupp, the histo- rian, that and other murders occurred in Sherman's Valley towards the close of December, 1755 — the first year of the settlement of these lands. The story of Robert Robinson is recorded in tLoudon's Nar- ratives, the first part of it relating to the first battle fought with the Indians after Rraddock's defeat, in which his brother lost his life. It follows: "Sideling Hill was the first fought battle after Braddock's de- feat. In the year 1756 a party of Indians came out of Conoco- cheague to a garrison named McCord's Fort, and killed some and took a number of prisoners. They then took their course near to Fort Littleton. Captain Hamilton, being stationed there with a company, hearing of their route at McCord's Fort, marched with his company of men, having an Indian with them who was under pay. This Indian led the company, and came on the tracks of the Indians and soon tracked them to Sideling Hill, where they found them with their prisoners, and having the first fire, but without doing much damage, the Indians returned the fire, defeated our men and killed a number of them. My brother, James Robinson, was among the slain. The Indians had McCord's wife with them ; they cut off Mr. James Blair's head and threw it in Mrs. McCord's lap, saving that was her husband's head, but she knew it to be Blair's.'" *The name is variously spelled Robison, Robeson, and Robinson. It is believed that the first method was the original, but as official publications of the state use the latter and as the descendants also do, that method is used in our pages. fFor much of the information contained in this chapter posterity is in- debted to Archibald Loudon, author of Loudon's Narratives. His father, James Loudon, was a pioneer in what is now Tuscarora Township, Perry County, and in Bull's Hill graveyard there the oldest stone marks his grave. Archibald Loudon thus got his information at first hand, there being no tradition about it. INTRUDING SETTLERS EVICTED 73 Robinson further says: "In 1756, I remember of Woolcomber's family on Shearman's Creek; the whole of the inhabitants of the valley was gathered at Robinson's, but Woolcomber Would not leave home; he said it was the Irish who were killing one an- other; these peaceable people, the Indians, would not hurt any person. Being at home and at dinner, the Indians came in, and the Quaker asked them to come and eat dinner ; an Indian an- nounced that he did not come to eat, but for scalps ; the son, a boy of fourteen or fifteen years of age, when he heard the Indian say so. repaired to a back door, and as he went out he looked back, and saw the Indian strike the tomahawk into his father's head. The boy then ran over the creek, which was near to the house, and heard the screams of his mother, sisters and brother. The boy came to our fort and gave us the alarm; about forty went to where the murder was done and buried the dead." The scene of this tragedy was the Burchfield farm, near Cisna's Run. Loudon's Narratives also states that in the year 1755 Peter Shaver, John Savage and two other men were killed at the mouth of Shaver's Creek, or Juniata, by the Indians. In February, 1756, Captain Patterson, with a party of scouts, went up the Susquehanna and reported the woods, from the Juni- ata to Shamokin, to be filled with Indians. Encountering a party of Indians they scalped one, which later proved to be the son of Shikellamy's sister. In Loudon's Narratives are the following details of another scalping: "February, 1756, a party of Indians from Shamokin came to Juniata. They first came to Hugh Micheltrees, being on the river, who had gone to Carlisle, and had got a young man, named Edward Nicholas, to stay with his wife until he would return — the Indians killed them both. The same party of In- dians went up the river where the Lukens now live — William Wilcox lived on the opposite side of the river, whose wife and eldest son had come over the river on some business — the Indians came while they were there and killed old Edward Nicholas (in some books the name is given as Nicholson) and his wife, and took Joseph, Thomas and Catharine Nicholas, John Wilcox, James Arm- strong's wife and two children prisoners. An Indian named Cot- ties (Cotter), who wished to be captain of this party, when they did not choose him, did not go with them. He and a boy went to Shearman's Creek and killed *William Sheridan and family, thirteen in number. They then went down the creek to where three old persons lived, two men and a woman, called French, whom they killed ; of which he often boasted afterwards, that he *Those killed at this time were William Sheridan, a Quaker, his wife, three children and a servant; William Hamilton, his wife and daughter and a man and two women whose last name was French. 74 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA and the boy took more scalps than the whole party." Some his- torians locate the scene of this tragedy as "being within ten miles of Carlisle, a little beyond Stephen's Gap," evidently meaning Sterrett's Gap. The location of the French home is uncertain at this distant day, but was probably in the vicinity of Dellville, as the description says they went down the creek from the Sheridan home. There is little doubt that the Sheridan family lived along the creek on the farm long known as the Levi Adams farm, above Dellville. According to the statement of Rev. L. C. Smiley, Mrs. Ludwig Cornman, when near ninety years of age, pointed out to his mother the location of the graves, which her father, Philip Foulk, had shown her, telling her the story, exactly as printed above and in Provincial Annals. It is in the meadow, adjoining the W. A. Smiley farm, and the Sheridan house stood between the sites of the present Adams house and barn. For years a long stone, deeply set in the ground and projecting, marked the graves, but Mr. Adams found it inconvenient to farm around it and broke it off with a sledge hammer on a level with the bottom of the fur- row. Mr. Smiley, at a later period while working in the same meadow with Mr. Adams, was informed by him that at the time he was unaware of the stone being a marker of so historic an inci- dent or he would not have removed it. Of the murder on Sherman's Creek of ten persons there remains an affidavit made almost a decade later, being dated February 28, 1764, and signed by Alexander Stephens, then of the county of Lancaster. He says Cotties, or Cotter, came back for a canoe which the murderers had left and admitted that he was of the party that killed these settlers. On October 1, 1757, near Fort Hunter — opposite Marysville — this Indian named Cotties saw a young fellow named William Martin,* gathering chestnuts, and killed him. In later years he got his just deserts. After the Indian war was over he appeared at Fort Hunter and boasted of the friendship he had had for the settlers. An Indian named Hambus, who had been friendly all the while, called him a liar and told of him causing all the trouble possible and of seeing him kill Martin. An altercation ensued, but the white settlers stopped it. Later in the day Cotties became drunk and while asleep the other Indian sunk his tomahawk into his skull. Robert Robinson, mentioned a number of times in these pages, was a hero and well known to Archibald Loudon, both being from Perry County territory. In introducing his narratives Mr. Lou- *This William Martin was the second son of Samuel Martin, of Pax- tang, whose uncle James had warranted the Fort Hunter property. He was a brother of Captain Joseph Martin, who became owner of the Mar- tin mills, in what is now Howe Township, upon the death of his father. INTRUDING SETTLERS EVICTED 75 don thus refers to him: "Robert Robinson, who was an eye wit- ness of many of the transactions related by him, was wounded at Kittanning, when it was taken by Colonel, later General John Armstrong, and a second time at Buffalo Creek, when two ot his brothers fell victims to savage fury. From our long acquaintance with this man, who is now no more, we can have no hesitation in believing the narratives correct, to the best of his remembrance." The French left unturned no stone in their efforts to enlist the Delaware's and often they were successful by preying upon the savage disposition through intrigue and deception. The following letter from Captain McKee to Edward Shippen, headed "Foart at Hunter's Mill, Ap'l 5th, 1756," is an example of their schemes: "Sir: I desire to let you No that John Secalemy, Indian, is Come here ye Day before yesterday, about 4 o'clock in ye afternoon, & Gives me an account that there is a Great Confusion amongst ye Indians up ye North branch of Susquehanna; the Delawares are a moving all from thence to Ohio, and wants to Persuade ye Shanowes along with them, but they Decline Goeing with them that course, and as they still incline to join with us, the Shanowes are Goeing up to a Town Called Teoga, where there is a body of ye Six Nations, and there they Intend to Remain. He has brought two more men, som women & som children along with him, and Sayeth that he Intends to live & Die with us, and Insists upon my Con- ducting him down to where his Sister and children is, at Canistogo, and I'm Loath to leave my Post, as his Honor was offended at ye last time I did, but can't help it, he Desires to acquaint you that his sister's son was killed at Perm's Creek, in ye scrimege w'th Cap't. Patterson. This with Due Respect from Sir, your Hum'l Ser't, "Thomas McKee." There were many encounters between the English and the In- dians. Loudon, in his narratives, says that few of the achieve- ments equal that of Samuel Bell, a wealthy farmer of Cumberland It follows : "Samuel Bell and his brother, George Bell, after Braddock's defeat, agreed to go into Shearman's Valley to hunt for deer, and were to meet at Croghan's (now Sterrett's) Gap, on the Blue Mountain; by some means or other they did not meet, and Samuel slept all night in a cabin belonging to Mr. Patton, on Shearman's Creek. In the morning he had not traveled far before he spied three Indians, who at the same time saw him; they all fired at each other; he wounded one of the Indians, but received no damage, except through his clothes by the shots; several shots were fired on both sides, as each took a tree; he took out his tomahawk and stuck it into the tree behind which he stood, so that should they approach he might be prepared. The tree was grazed by bullets and he had thoughts of making his escape by flight, but on reflec- tion had doubts of his being able to outrun them. After some time the two Indians took the wounded one and put him over a fence and one took one course and the other another, taking a compass so that Bell could no longer secure himself by the tree, but by trying to ensnare him they had to expose themselves, by which means he had the good fortune to shoot one of them dead. The other ran, took the dead Indian on his back, one leg over each shoulder; by this time Bell's gun was again loaded and he ran after the Indian until he came within about four yards, 76 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA fired and shot through the dead Indian and lodged his ball in the other, who dropped the dead man and ran off. On his return, coining past the fence where the wounded Indian was, he despatched him but did not know he had killed the third Indian until his bones were found afterwards." The prominent Bell families of the past and the present gen- erations located in Rye Township are, however, not descendants of this same family. In a letter by James Young dated July 18, 1756, at Carlisle, to "the Hon. Gov. Morris," among other things is another reference to Sherman's Valley, as follows : I left Shamokin early on Friday morning in a battoe ; we rowed her down to Harris' Ferry before night, with four oars. There is but one fall above those you saw, not so bad as those at Hunter's ; it is about four miles from Fort Halifax. 1 came here yesterday noon hoping to find money sent by the commissioners to pay the forces on this side of the river as they promised, but as yet none is come. Neither is Colonel Armstrong come, and I find but sixteen of his men here, the rest having gone to Shearman's Valley to protect the farmers at the harvest, so when the money comes I shall be at a loss for an escort. I am informed that a number of men at the forts whose three months is expired agreeable to their enlistments have left their posts and expect their pay when I go there. This may be of bad consequence and I heartily wish there were none enlisted for less than twelve months. I am persuaded the officers would find men enough for that time. The distress of the frontier settlements at this time had became a tragedy and any attempt to portray their sufferings and fears would prove a failure. In the fall of 1755 the country west of the Susquehanna and north of the Blue or Kittatinny Mountain had three thousand men fit to bear arms, and in August, 1756, exclu- sive of the provincial forces, there were not one hundred, fear having driven the greater part from their homes into the more settled part of the province. Governor Morris, in his message to the Assembly, August 16, 1756, said: "The people to the west of the Susquehanna, distressed by the frequent incursions of the enemy and weakened by their great losses, are moving into the interior parts of the province, and I am fearful that the whole county will be evacuated, if timely and vigorous measures are not taken to prevent it." The Assembly were inclined to disregard the appeals, but the frequent reports of additional outrages impelled them to pass a measure providing for the appropriation of forty thousand pounds which was to be raised by taxing the proprietary estates. The governor, being indebted to the proprietaries for his position, vetoed the bill. The proprietary, however, made a contribution of five thousand pounds, which was applied to the defence of the frontier. Governor Morris and the Assembly not being able to agree on the matter of protecting the frontier from the ravages of the Indians the entire matter, including the petitions from citi- INTRUDING SETTLERS EVICTED yy zens, was laid before the King of Great Britain, who ordered a hearing before a committee of the Privy Council. At this hearing Cumberland County (which included Perry) and the Assembly were represented by counsel and the Assembly was criticized for its conduct in relation to the public defense dating as far back as Upon consideration of the report of the committee the Privy Council went upon record that the Legislature of Pennsylvania, as of every other county, was bound to support its government and its subjects; that the measures heretofore adopted by the Assembly for that purpose were improper, inadequate and inef- fectual ; and that there was no cause to hope for other measures while the majority of the Assembly consisted of persons whose avowed principles were against military service; who, though not a sixth part of the inhabitants of the province, were admitted to hold offices of trust and profit, and to sit in the Assembly without their allegiance being secured by the sanction of an oath. The massacres which followed Braddock's defeat were princi- pally laid to King Shingas (Shingask), the greatest Delaware warrior of his period. Among the settlements that fell prey to him was Sherman's Valley, says Rupp, the historian. He was a small personage but his savagery is said to have been unrelenting. Those who had not fled or whose interests lay in the desolated territory petitioned the governor, council, and assembly for pro- tection against the relentless foe, the same being read in Council, August 21, 1756. Among the signatures are the ancestors of many Perry Countians. The petition : To the Honorable Robert Hunter Morris, Esq., Lieut. Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania: The address of part of the remaining inhabitants of Cumberland County, most humbly showeth, that the French and their savage allies, have from time to time made several incursions into this county, have in the most inhuman and barbarous manner murdered great numbers of our people and carried others into captivity, and being greatly emboldened by a series of success, not only attempted but also took Fort Granville on the 30th of July last, then commanded by the late Lieutenant Edward Arm- strong, and carried off the greater part of the garrison, prisoners, from whom' doubtless the enemy will be informed of the weakness of this frontier, and how incapable we are of defending ourselves against their incursions, which will be a great inducement for them to redouble their attacks, and in all probability force the remaining inhabitants of this county to evacuate it. Great numbers of the inhabitants are already fled, and others preparing to go off; finding that it is not in the power of the troops in the pay of the government (were we certain of their being con- tinued) to prevent the ravages of our restless, barbarous and merciless enemy. It is therefore greatly to be doubted that (without a further pro- tection) the inhabitants of this comity will shortly endeavor to save them- selves and their effects by flight, which must consequently be productive of considerable inconveniences to his majesty's interest in general, and to the welfare of the people of this province in particular. ;8 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Your petitioners being fully convinced of your honor's concern for a strict attention to his majesty's interest, have presumed to request that your honor would be pleased to take our case into consideration, and, if agreeable to your honor's judgment, to make application to his excellency, General Loudon, that part of the troops now raising for his excellency's regiment may be sent to, and for some time, continued in some of the most important and advantageous posts in this county, by whose assistance we may be able to continue a frontier if possible, and thereby induce the remaining inhabitants to secure, at least, a part of the immense quantity of grain which now lies exposed to the enemy and subject to be destroyed or taken away by them ; and also enable the provincial troops to make incursions into the enemy's country, which* would contribute greatly to the safety and satisfaction of your honor's petitioners — and your petitioners, as in duty bound shall ever pray, &c. The signatures : Francis West, John Welch, James Dickson, Robert Erwin, Samuel Smith, Wm. Buchanan, Daniel Williams, John Montgomery, Thomas Barker, John Lindsay, Thomas Urie, James Buchanan, Wm. Spear, James Pollock, Andrew Mclntyre, Robert Gibson, Garret McDaniel, Arthur Foster, James Brandon, John Houston, Patrick McCollom, James Reed, Thomas Lockertt, Andrew Dalton, John Irwin, Wm. BIyth, Robert Miller, Wm. Miller, James Young, John Davis, John Mitchell, John Pat- tison, Samuel Stevens, John Fox, Charles Pattison, John Foster, Wm. McCaskey, Andrew Calhoun, Jas. Stackpole, Wm. Sebbe, Jas. Robb, Samuel Anderson, Robert Robb, Samuel Hunter, A. Forster, N'ath. Smyth. Attack of Fort Robinson. Of the attack on Fort Robinson during harvest time in 1756 there is record, as the narrative of Robert Robinson, of that hardy pioneer family of Robinsons, was preserved for posterity by Loudon, the historian, in his work known as Loudon's Narratives The Indians had murdered some persons in Sherman's Valley in July and waylaid the fort in harvest time. They kept quiet until the reapers had gone into the clearings to harvest, when a chance shot at a mark by Robert Robinson caused them to imagine they were discovered. But let us listen to his story, just as related : "The Indians murdered some persons in the Shearman's Valley in July and waylaid the fort in harvest time, and kept quiet until the reapers were gone; James Wilson remaining some time behind the rest and I not being gone to my business, which was hunting deer, for the use of the company. Wilson standing at the Fort gate I desired liberty to shoot his gun at a mark, upon which he gave me the gun and I shot. The Indians on the upper side of the fort, thinking they were discovered, rushed on a daughter of Robert Miller and instantly killed her and shot at John Simmeson. They then made the best of it that they could and killed the wife of James Wilson, and the widow Gibson and took Hugh Gibson and Betsy Henry prisoners. The reapers being forty in number, returned to the fort and the Indians dispersed." While the Indian was scalping Mrs. Wilson, Robert Robinson took a shot at him, wounding him, but he escaped. The story of Hugh Gibson, who was carried away by the In- dians at that time, reads like romance. It is recorded by Archibald Loudon, that first historian from Perry County territory, in his book, Loudon's Narratives, as follows : INTRUDING SETTLERS EVICTED 79 "I was," says Gibson, "taken captive by the Indians, from Robinson's fort, in Shearman's Valley, in July, 1756, at which time my mother was killed; I was taken back to their towns, where I suffered much from hunger and abuse ; many times they beat me most severely, and once they sent me to gather wood to burn myself, but I cannot tell whether they intended to do it or to frighten me; however, T did not remain long before I was adopted into an Indian family, and then I lived as they did, though the living was very poor. I was then about fourteen years of age; my Indian father's name was Busqueetam ; he was lame in consequence of a wound received by his knife in skinning a deer, and being unable to walk, he ordered me to drive forks in the ground and cover it with bark to make a lodge for him to lie in, but the forks not being secure they gave way and the bark fell down upon him and hurt him very much, which put him into a great rage and calling his wife, ordered us to carry him on a blanket into the hut and I must be one that helps to carry him in ; while we were carrying him I saw him hunting for the knife, but my Indian mother had taken care to convey it away, and when we had got him again fixed in his bed, my mother ordered me to conceal myself, which I did; I afterward heard him reproving her for putting away the knife, for by this time I had learned to understand a little of their language. However, his passion wore off and we did very well for the future. "Some time after this all the prisoners in the neighborhood were col- lected to be spectators of the cruel death of a poor, unhappy woman, a prisoner, amongst which number I was. When Colonel Armstrong de- stroyed the Kittanning fort this woman fled to the white men, but by some means lost them and fell into the hands of the Indians, who stripped her naked, bound her to a post, and applying hot irons to her whilst the skin stuck to the iron at every touch, she screaming in the most pitiful manner, and crying for mercy, but these ruthless barbarians were deaf to her agonizing shrieks and prayers, and continued their cruelty till death re- leased her from the torture of those hellish fiends. Of this shocking scene at which human nature shudders, the prisoners were all brought to be spectators. "I shall omit giving any account of our encamping or decamping, or our moving from place to place, as every one knows this is the most constant employment of Indians. I had now become pretty well acquainted with their manners and customs, had learned their language and was become a tolerable good hunter — was admitted to their dances, to their sacrifices and religious ceremonies. Some of them have a tolerable good idea of the Supreme Being; and I have heard some of them very devoutly thank- ing their Maker, that they had seen another spring and had seen the flowers upon the earth. I observed that their prayers and praises were for temporal things. They had one bad custom amongst them; that if one man kill another, the friends of the deceased, if they cannot get the murderer, they will kill the nearest akin. I once saw an instance of this: two of them quarreled and the one killed the other, upon which the friends of the deceased rose in pursuit of the murderer, but he having made his escape, his friends were all hiding themselves ; but the pursuers hap- pened to find a brother of the murderer, a boy concealed under a log; they immediately pulled him out from his concealment ; he plead strongly that it was not him that killed the man ; this had no weight with the avengers of blood; they instantly sunk their tomahawks into his body and despatched him. But they have some rules and regulations among them that are good; their ordinary way of living is miserable and poor, often without food. They were amazingly dirty in their cookery; some- times they catch a number of frogs, and hang them up to dry ; when a So HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA deer is killed they will split up the guts and give them a plunge or two in the water and then dry them and when they run out of provisions they will take some of the dried frogs and some of the deer guts and boil them till the flesh of the frogs is dissolved, then they sup the broth. "Having now been with them a considerable time, a favorable oppor- tunity offered for me to regain my liberty; my old father, Busqueetam, lost a horse, and he sent me to look for him ; after searching some time I came home and told him that I had discovered his tracks at some con- siderable distance and that I thought I could find him ; that I would take my gun and provisions and would hunt for three or four days and if I could kill a bear or deer I would pack home the meat on my horse; ac- cordingly I packed up some provisions and started towards the white set- tlements, not fearing pursuit for some days, and by that time I would be out of the reach of the pursuers. But before I was aware I was almost at a large camp of Indians, by a creek side; this was in the evening and I had to conceal myself in a thicket till it was dark and then passed the camp, and crossed the creek in one of their canoes. I was much afraid that their dogs would give the alarm, but happily got safe past. I trav- eled on for several days, and on my way I spied a bear, shot at and wounded him, so that he could not run, but being too hasty ran up to him with my tomahawk; but before I could give a blow he gave me a severe stroke on the leg, which pained me very much, and retarded my journey much longer than it otherwise would have been. However I traveled on as well as I could till I got to the Allegheny River, where I collected some poles, with which I made a raft and bound it together with elm bark and grape vines, by which means I got over the river, but in crossing which I lost my gun. I arrived at Fort Pitt in fourteen days from the time of my start, after a captivity of five years and four months." Hugh Gibson, mentioned as being taken captive, was the son of David Gibson, who came from County Tyrone, Ireland, about 1740 and settled in Lancaster County, where Hugh was born in 1 741. His mother's maiden name was Mary McClelland. The father died while Hugh was quite young and the widowed mother, with her three children, Hugh, Israel, and Mary, removed to the vicinity of Fort Robinson, then Tyrone Township, to be near her brother, William McClelland, who resided near Centre church. During that summer season of 1756, when Indian uprisings were common and the war whoop resounded through the forests, the widow and her children had taken refuge in the stockade at Fort Robinson. With her eldest son Hugh, Mrs. Gibson was out in the woods looking for their cattle, when she was shot down and scalped and her son chased and captured. He was carried away ti» the Indian town of Kittanning and adopted into an Indian family to take the place of a son killed in battle with the Cherokees. llis initiation into the tribe is said to have been by washing him thoroughly in the river which he was told washed away his white blood. From then on he was called brother by the Indians. He had been compelled to witness the cruel death of a. captive and when the Indians thought that he entertained thoughts of es- cape he was told that he would be served the same death and wag INTRUDING SETTLERS EVICTED 81 treated with extreme cruelty. In one instance he was set to carry- ing wood to be used in his own death by burning at the stake. Happily this threat was never carried out. When Armstrong took the Indian town of Kittanning with his company from Car- lisle, Gibson was kept in the rear in the woods with the old men, squaws and children but he was near enough to hear the sound of the guns as they battled. After the fall of their stronghold they retreated to the region of the Muskingum River in Ohio, where, at the point where its two branches joined, was located a large Delaware town. In fact, that was the extreme western point to which traveled those early missionaries. Rev. Dnffield and Rev. Beatty, who were the first advance agents of Christianity in Perry County territory. After his return to the settled portion of the province he resided with his maternal uncle, William McClelland, near the scene of his capture, later marrying a Miss Mary White, of Lancaster, and rearing a large family. After the Revolutionary War he removed to Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where he died at an advanced age, Tuly 30, 1826. Rev. Dr. George Norcross, the prominent divine so long pastor of the Second Presbyterian church of Car- lisle, was a descendant, being his great-grandson. « Baskins Family Abducted. Some time after Braddock's defeat Fort Granville was erected at a place called Old Town, on the bank of the Juniata, some dis- tance from the present site of Lewistown, then Cumberland, now Mifflin County, where a company of enlisted soldiers were kept, under the command of Lieutenant Armstrong. The position of the fort was not favorable. The Indians had been lurking about there for some time and knew that Armstrong's men were few in number, sixty of them appeared July 22, 1756, before the fort, and challenged the garrison to combat ; but this was declined by the commander, in consequence of the weakness of his force. The Indians fired at and wounded one man belonging to the fort, who had been a short way from it, yet he got in safe ; after which they divided themselves in small parties, one of which attacked the plantation of one Baskins, near Juniata, whom they murdered, burnt his house and carried off his wife and children ; and an- other made Hugh Carroll and family prisoners. The Indians on one occasion murdered a family of seven per- sons on Sherman's Creek ; from there they passed over the moun- tain at Croghan's (Sterrett's) Gap, wounded a man, killed a horse and captured a Mrs. Boyde, her two sons and a daughter upon the Conodoguinet Creek. The Shawnees and Delaware Indians, aided and abetted by the French, continued their hellishness until 1757, when negotiations 6 82 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA for peace were begun by the chiefs of these tribes ; but the French and the western Indians still kept up a desultory and sanguinary warfare. Battle With Indians at Peters' Mountain. At Peters' Mountain, opposite the location of Duncannon, ac- cording to the Pennsylvania Gazette of October 27, 1757, an en- gagement took place. It says: "We have advices from Paxton, that on the 17th inst., as four of our inhabitants, near Hunter's Fort were pulling their Indian corn, when two of them, Alexander Watt and John McKennet, were killed and scalped, their heads THE CLARK'S FERRY DAM. In the foreground, waters of the Juniata, the small boats being moored at the eastern landing of the old Baskins Ferry, on Duncan's Island. To the right Clark's Ferry Dam in the Susquehanna, with Peter's Mountain as a Background. being cut off; the other two scalped. That Captain Work, of the Augusta regiment, coming down from Fort Halifax, met the sav- ages at Peters' Mountain, about twenty of them ; when they fired upon him, at about forty yards' distance, upon which his party returned the fire and put the enemy to flight, leaving behind them five horses, with what plunder they had got ; and that one of the Indians was supposed to be wounded, by the blood that was seen in their tracks. None of Captain Work's men were hurt." INTRUDING SETTLERS EVJCTED 83 Indians were used as guides and interpreters by the provincial troops and the troops were constantly aided by the pioneers. From a report from Col. John Armstrong dated Carlisle, July II, 1757, the following extract relating to Sherman's Valley is made : "On Wednesday last Lieutenant Armstrong marched with forty sol- diers, accompanied by Mr. Smith, the Indian interpreter, and ten Indians, into Sherman's Valley, where some of the enemy had been discovered. They were joined by thirty of the country people who wanted to bring over their cattle from that place. On Thurs- day they found the tracks of the enemy and followed them with spirit enough until evening, when the tracks made toward this valley ; next morning the Cherokees discovered some tracks bear- ing off to the westward, upon which they said they were discov- ered and that those bearing towards the westward were going to inform a body of the enemy, which they said was not far off ; upon which the lieutenant told the interpreter that his orders particu- larly led him to make discovery of the enemy's encampment (if any such there was) and to know whether any were drove off for their support. But two or three of the bravest of the Indians freely told the interpreter that their young men were afraid that the enemy discovered them and therefore no advantage could at that time be got ; nor could the interpreter prevail on them to stay any longer out. The lieutenant reconnoitered the country towards Juniata, and returned last night without any discovery of a lurking party of the enemy behind us." Even if a few had remained north of the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain to attend to the stock, or if trips were made across the mountain for that purpose, yet Sherman's Valley was practically abandoned in 1756, in so far as actual residence was concerned. The settlers had gradually gone back, however, until in 1763, as the next chapter will show, they were again driven from their homes by a devastating and relentless Indian warfare. CHAPTER IV. TREATY OF PEACE, BUT A DEVASTATING INDIAN WARFARE. IN 1758 the provincial authorities and the Indians made a treaty of peace and friendship at Easton, and, generally speak- ing, the Indian massacres were over; yet unattached bands of marauding savages appeared at times and committed murders. In fact the war between the English and the French still continued until 1762. A secret confederacy had also been formed by the Shawnees and the various tribes along the Ohio and about De- troit for the purpose of attacking simultaneously the English posts and settlements on the frontiers, and the territory which is now Perry County was certainly not only the frontier, but the "front line." This was termed by the frontier inhabitants, the Pontiac War, by reason of Pontiac, a chief of the Ottawas, being the evil genius who was one of the principals in the inception. The province had dealt leniently — too leniently — with the Indians and a treaty of peace was usually accompanied by expensive and numerous pres- ents, which in reality put a premium on war, as there could be no treaties of peace without the necessary preceding war. A cer- tain day was set apart and the frontiers everywhere were to be attacked at the same time. A bundle of small rods had been given to every tribe and one was to be withdrawn on the morning of each day, and on the date of the withdrawal of the final rod the general attack was to have been made. From the bundle going to those who were to attack Fort Pitt, at the present site of Pittsburgh, a squaw, not in sympathy with the movement, drew a few rods. This accounts for the actions of the Indians in attacking that place ahead of the designated day, which news was hurried abroad and which put some settlements on their guard. Their plan was deliberate and skillful. The border settlements were to be invaded during harvest, the people, corn and cattle de- stroyed and the land thus laid waste. Traders had been invited among them and these were first put out of the way, their goods being plundered. The country was then put at the mercy of scalp- ing parties and desolation followed in their wake. It is said the roads were literally covered with women and children seeking refuge at Lancaster and Philadelphia. The forts at Presque Isle, Lebeuf and Venango had been captured and the garrisons mas- sacred. For Ljgonier was barely saved. The soil of Perry was TREATY OF PEACE— INDIAN WARFARE 85 overrun by these western Indians and fortunately records exist which show some of the horrors, but many of them were in such exposed places that no one was left to tell the tale. In correspondence to the Pennsylvania Gazelle, dated Carlisle, July 12, 1763, is the following, which covers the horrible situa- tion, not only of what is now Perry, but of Juniata and of Cum- berland : "I embrace this first leisure since yesterday morning to transmit you a brief account of our present state of affairs here, which indeed is very distressing; every day almost affording some fresh object to awaken the compassion, alarm the fears or kindle into resentment and vengeance every sensible breast, while flying families obliged to abandon house and pos- session, to save their lives by a hasty escape; mourning widows, bewail- ing their husbands surprised and massacred by savage rage ; tender par- ents lamenting the fruit of their own bodies, cropt in the very bloom of life by a barbarous hand; with relations and acquaintances pouring out sorrow for murdered neighbors and friends, present a varied scene of mingled distress. "When, for some time, after striking at Bedford, the Indians appeared quiet, nor struck any other part of our frontiers, it became the prevailing opinion, that our forts and communication, were so peculiarly the object of their attention, that, till at least after harvest, there was little prospect of danger over the hills, and to dissent from the generally received senti- ment was political heresy, and attributed to timidity rather than judg- ment, till too early conviction has decided the point in the following manner. "On Sunday morning, the loth inst., about nine or ten o'clock, at the house of one William White, on Juniata, between thirty and forty miles hence, there being in said house four men and a lad, the Indians came rushing upon them, and shot White at the door, just stepping out to see what the noise meant. Our people then pulled in White and shut the door; but observing through a window the Indians setting fire to the house, they attempted to force their way out at the door; but the first that stept out being shot down, they drew him in and again shut the door ; after which one attempting an escape out of the window on the loft, was shot through the head and the lad wounded in the arm. The only one now remaining, William Riddle, broke a hole through the roof of the house, and an Indian who saw him looking out, alleged he was about to fire on him, withdrew, which afforded Riddle an opportunity to make his escape. The house, with the other four in it, was burned down, as one McMachen informs, who was coming to it, not suspecting Indians, and was then fired at and shot through the shoulder, but made his escape. "The same day, about dinner time, at about a mile and a half from said White's, at the house of Robert Campbell, six men being in the house, as they were dining, three Indians rushed in at the door, and after firing among them and wounding some, they tomahawked in an instant one of the men ; whereupon one George Dodds, one of the company, sprang back into the room, took down a rifle, shot an Indian through the body, who was just presenting his piece to shoot him. The Indian being mortally wounded, staggered, and letting his gun fall, was carried off by three more. Dodds, with one or two more, getting upon the loft, broke the 'roof in order to escape, and looking out saw one of the company, Stephen Jeffries, running, but very slowly, by reason of a wound in the breast, and an Indian pursuing; and it is thought he could not escape, nor have 86 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA we heard of him since, so that it is past dispute, he also is murdered. The lust that attempted getting out of the loft was fired at and drew back; another attempting was shot dead; and of the six, Dodds, the only one, made his escape. The same day about dusk, about six or seven miles up Tuscarora, and about twenty-eight or thirty miles hence, they murdered one William Anderson,* together with a boy and girl all in one house. At White's were seen at least five, some say eight or ten, Indians, and at Campbell's about the same number. On Monday, the nth, a party of about twenty-four went over from the upper part of Shearman's Valley, to see how matters were. Another party of twelve or thirteen went over from the upper part of said valley ; and Col. John Armstrong, with Thomas Wilson, Esq., and a party of between thirty and forty from this town, to reconnoitre and assist in bringing in the dead. "Of the first and third parties we have heard nothing yet; but of the party of twelve, six are come in, and inform that they passed through the several places in Tuscarora, and saw the houses in flames, or burnt en- tirely down. That the grain that had been reaped the Indians burnt in shocks and had set the fences on fire where the grain was unreaped ; that the hogs had fallen upon and mangled several of the dead bodies ; that the said company of twelve, suspecting danger, durst not stay to bury the dead ; that after they had returned over the Tuscarora Mountain, about one or two miles on this side of it, and about eighteen or twenty from hence, they were fired on by a large party of Indians, supposed about thirty, and were obliged to fly; that two, viz: William Robinson and John Graham, are certainly killed, and four more are missing, who it is thought, have fallen into the hands of the enemy, as they appeared slow in flight, most probably wounded, and the savages pursued with violence. What farther mischief has been done we have not heard, but expect every day and hour, some more messages of melancholy news. "In hearing of the above defeat, we sent out another party of thirty or upwards, commanded by our high sheriff, Mr. Dunning, and Mr. William Lyon, to go in quest of the enemy, or fall in with and reinforce our other parties. There are also a number gone out from about three miles below this, so that we now have over the hills upwards of eighty or ninety volunteers scouring the woods. The inhabitants of Shearman's Valley, Tuscarora, &c, are all come over, and the people of this valley, near the mountain, are beginning to move in, so that in a few days there will be scarcely a house inhabited north of Carlisle. Many of our people are greatly dis- tressed, through want of arms and ammunition; and numbers of those beat off their places have hardly money enough to purchase a pound of powder. "Our women and children, I suppose must move downwards, if the enemy proceed. To-day a British vengeance begins to rise in the breasts of our men. One of them that fell from among the twelve, as he was just expiring, said to one of his fellows: 'Here, take my gun and kill the first Indian you see, and all shall be well.' " The following is an extract from a letter dated the next day, July 13, 1763, to the same paper, and continuing the report of the relief forces sent north of the Kittatinnies : "Last night Colonel Armstrong returned. He left the party, who pur- sued further and found several dead, whom they buried in the best man- ner they could, and are now all returned in. From what appears the In- dians are traveling from one place to another, along the valley, burning *William Anderson was killed without warning, while reading the Bible. TREATY OF PEACH— INDIAN WARFARE 87 the farms, and destroying all the people they meet with. This day gives an account of six more being killed in the valley, so that since last Sunday morning, to this day, twelve o'clock, we have a pretty authentic account of the number slain, being twenty-five, and four or five wounded. The Colonel, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Alricks are now on the parade, endeavoring to raise another party, to go out and succor the sheriff and his party con- sisting of fifty men, which marched yesterday, and I hope they will be able to send off immediately twenty good men. The people here, I assure you, want nothing but a good leader and a little encouragement, to make a very good defense." The result of these marauding expeditions is best summed up by the Pennsylvania Gazette of July 28, 1763, in which is the fol- lowing statement : "Our advices from Carlisle are that the party under the sheriff, Mr. Dunning, mentioned in our last, fell in with the enemy, at the house of one Alexander Logan, in Shearman's Valley, supposed to be about fifteen, or upwards, who had murdered the said Logan, his son, and another man about two miles from said house, and mortally wounded a fourth, who is since dead; and that at the time of their being discovered they were rifling the house and shooting down the cattle, and it is thought, about to return home with the spoil they had got. That our men, on seeing them, immediately spread themselves from right to left, with a design to sur- round them, and engaged the savages with great courage, but from their eagerness rather too soon, as some of the party had not got up when the skirmish began; that the enemy returned our first fire very briskly; but our people, regardless of that, rushed upon them, when they fled, and were pursued a considerable way, till thickets secured their escape, four or five of them it was thought being mortally wounded ; that our parties had brought in with them what cattle they could collect, but that great numbers were killed by the Indians, and many of the horses that were in the val- leys carried off; that since the 10th inst. there was an account of fifty- four persons being killed by the enemy. "That the Indians had set fire to houses, barns, corn, wheat and rye, hay ; in short, to everything combustible ; so that the whole country seemed to be in one general blaze ; that the miseries and distresses of the poor people were really shocking to humanity, and beyond the power of language to describe; that Carlisle was become the barrier, not a single inhabitant being beyond it ; that every stable and hovel in the town was crowded with miserable refugees, who were reduced to a state of beggary and despair; their houses, cattle and harvest destroyed; and from a plentiful, independent people, they were become real objects of charity and comiseration ; that it was most dismal to see the streets filled with people, in whose countenances must be discovered a mixture of grief, madness and despair; and to hear, now and then, the sighs and groans of men; the disconsolate lamentations of women, and the screams of children, who had lost their nearest and dearest relatives ; and that on both sides of the Susquehanna, for some miles, the woods were filled with poor families, and their cattle, who made fires, and lived like sav- ages, exposed to the inclemencies of the weather." From a letter dated July 30, 1763, at Carlisle, the following account is taken. It relates of the efforts made to save a part of the harvests : "On the 25th, a considerable number of the inhabitants of Shearman's Valley went over, with a party of soldiers to guard them, to attempt 88 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA saving as much of their grain as might be standing, and it is hoped a considerable quantity will yet be preserved. A party of volunteers, be- tween twenty and thirty, went to the farther side of the valley, next to the Tuscarora Mountain, to see what appearance there might be of the Indians, as it was thought they would most probably be there, if any- where in the settlement ; to search for, and bury the dead at Buffalo Creek, and to assist the inhabitants that lived along, or near the foot of the mountain, in bringing off what they could, which services they accord- ingly performed, burying the remains of three persons; but saw no marks of Indians having lately been there, excepting one track, supposed about two or three days old, near the narrows of Buffalo Creek hill; and heard some hallooing and firing of a gun at another place." The murders at the home of William White, previously men- tioned in this chapter, were in harvest time and the reapers, as the harvest hands were then termed, were all in the house, it being the Sabbath day, when the redskins surprised them. Robert Rob- inson's account of many of these murders is almost parallel with that of the accounts printed on the foregoing pages, but he goes farther. He tells of receiving the news at Edward Elliott's, where he and others were harvesting; how John Graham, John Christy and James Christy heard the firing of guns at the William Ander- son home early in the evening, and of their investigation and carry- ing the news to Elliott's. His account further says : "Graham and the Christys came about midnight. We, hearing the In- dians had got so far up the Tuscarora Valley, and knowing Collins' famliy and James Scott's were there about harvest, twelve of us concluded to go over Bigham's Gap (the entrance to Liberty Valley) and give those word that were there ; when we came to Collins' we saw that the Indians had been there, had broke a wheel, emptied a bed and taken flour, of which they made some water gruel ; we counted thirteen spoons made of bark ; we followed the tracks made down to James Scott's, where we found the Indians had killed some fowls; we pursued on to Graham's; there the house was on fire and burned down to the joists. We divided our men into two parties, six in each; my brother with his party came in behind the barn, and myself with the other party came down through an oats field ; I was to shoot first ; the Indians had hung a coat upon a post on the other side of the fire from us ; I looked at it and saw it immovable, and therefore walked down to it and found that the Indians had just left it ; they had killed four hogs and had eaten at pleasure. Our company took their track, and found that two companies had met at Graham's and had gone over the Tuscarora Mountain. We took the run gap, the two roads meeting at Nicholsons; they were there first, heard us coming and lay in ambush for us; they had first fire; being twenty-five in number and only twelve of us — they killed five and wounded myself. They then went to Alexander Logan's, where they emptied some beds and passed on to George McCord's. "The names of the twelve were William Robison, who acted as cap- tain; Robert Robison, the relator of this narrative; Thomas Robison, being three brothers ; John Graham, Charles Elliott, William Christy, James Christy, David Miller, John Elliott, Edward McConnel, William McAlister, and John Nicholas. The persons killed were William Robi- son, who was shot in the belly with buckshot and got about half a mile from the ground; John Elliott, then a boy about seventeen years of age, TREATY OF PEACE— INDIAN WARFARE 89 having emptied his gun, was pursued by an Indian with his tomahawk, who was within a few perches of him when Elliott had poured some powder into his gun by random, out of his powder horn, and having a bullet in his mouth, put it in the muzzle, but had no time to ram it down; he turned and fired at his pursuer, who clapped his hand on his stomach and cried 'och,' then turned and fled. Elliott had run a few perches fur- ther, when he overtook William Robison, weltering in his blood, in his last agonies; he requested Elliott to carry him off, who excused himself by telling of his inability to do so, and also of the danger they were in ; he said he knew it, but desired him to take his gun with him, and, peace or war, if ever he had an opportunity of killing an Indian, to shoot him for his sake. Elliott brought away the gun and Robison was not found by the Indians. "Thomas Robison stood on the ground until the whole of his people were fled, nor did the Indians offer to pursue, until the last man left the field; Thomas having fired and charged a second time, the Indians were prepared for him, and when he took aim past the tree, a number fired at him at the same time ; one of his arms was broken ; he took his gun in the other and fled; going up a hill he came to a high log, and clapped his hand, in which was his gun, on the log to assist in leaping over it; while in the attitude of stooping a bullet entered his side, going in a tri- angular course through his body; he sunk down across the log; the In- dians sunk the cock of his gun into his brains and mangled him very much. John Graham was seen by David Miller sitting on a log, not far from the place of attack, with his hands on his face, and blood running through his fingers. Charles Elliott and Edward McConnel took a circle round where the Indians were laying, and made the best of their way to Buffalo Creek; but they were pursued by the Indians; and where they crossed the creek there was a high bank, and as they were endeavoring to ascend the bank, they were both shot and fell back into the water. "Thus ended the unfortunate affair ; but at the same time it appears as if the hand of Providence had been in the whole transaction, for there is every reason to believe that spies had been viewing the place the night before, and the Indians were within three quarters of a mile from the place from which the men had started, when there would have been from twenty to thirty men perhaps in the field reaping, and all the guns that could be depended upon were in this small company, except one, so that they might have become an easy prey, and instead of those five brave men who lost their lives three times that number might have done so. "A party of forty men came from Carlisle to bury the dead at Juniata ; when they saw the dead at Buffalo Creek they returned home. Then a party of men came with Captain Dunning; but before they came to Alex- ander Logan's his son John, Charles Coyle, William Hamilton, with Bartholomew Davis, followed the Indians to George McCord's, where they were in the barn ; Logan and those with him were all killed, except Davis, who made his escape and joined Captain Dunning. The Indians then re- turned to Logan's house again, when Captain Dunning and his party came on them, and they fired some time at each other; Dunning had one man wounded. "The relief parties took back with them what cattle they could secure, but the Indians had killed a large number and had taken all the horses upon which they could lay hands." By the latter part of July, 1763, there were 1,384 refugees from ' north of the Kittatinny Mountain domiciled in barns, sheds or other temporary place of refuge at Shippenshurg, having fled from their homes. 90 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA The victory of Colonel Henry Bouquet over the Indians in west- ern Pennsylavnia, in 1764, gave the settlers new courage and they gradually returned to Sherman's Valley and the territory east of the Juniata River, and by 1767 many of the best locations in the county had been warranted. *There is record of the heirs of Robert Campbell, mentioned in this chapter as being cruelly murdered by the Indians, warranting lands in Tuscarora Township in 1767, four years after his death. f The Alexander Logan, whose death at the hands of the Indians is here described, was the owner of lands near Kistler, later long owned by the McMillens. County Citizens Recipients of Charity. When Perry Countains have been contributing to charity — to flood and famine sufferers everywhere, to India, France, Belgium, Armenia, the Harrisburg and other hospitals — little did many think- that in its provincial days, before it arose to the dignity of a "little commonwealth," its people were the objects of charity, owing to their being driven out by the Indians from their homes. Such, however, was the case. The refugees, who were in Carlisle, were relieved to some extent in their great distress by the generosity of the Episcopal churches of Philadelphia. On July 26, 1763, Rich- ard Peters, the rector of Christ church and St. Peters, in Phila- delphia (the same man who was secretary of the province), rep- resented to the vestry "that the back inhabitants of this province are reduced to great distress and necessity, by the present inva- sion" and proposed that some method be formed for collecting charily for their relief. A preamble was drawn up and a sub- scription paper started. At the next meeting the wardens reported that they had collected £662, 3s. Of course that amount of money needed systematic distribution and the Philadelphia congregations corresponded with persons in Cumberland to ascertain the extent (jf the distress. William Thomson, an itinerant missionary for the counties of York and Cumberland, and Francis West and Thomas Donellon, wardens of the Episcopal church at Carlisle, sent a reply in which, among other statements, is this : "We have taken pains to get the number of the distressed, and upon strict inquiry, we find seven hundred and fifty families have abandoned their plantations, the greatest number of which have lost their crops, some their stock and furniture, and besides, we are informed that there are about two hundred women and children coming down from Fort Pitt. We also find that sums of money lately sent up are almost expended, and that each family has not received twenty *See chapter on Tuscarora Township. fSee chapter on Madison Township and 011 "Frontier Forts.' TREATY OF PEACE— INDIAN WARFARE 91 shillings upon an average." The letter also tells of the great dis- tress and says that smallpox and flux are raging among the home- less. Upwards of two hundred of these families were in Carlisle and the remainder in Shippenshurg, Littlestown, York and other places. However, it must be remembered that they were not all from Perry County territory, but from what is now Fulton, Franklin, Bedford and farther west, as well as from the outlying districts of Cumberland County itself. In recounting the result of this report and appeal Rev. Dorr, in his Historical Account of Christ and St. Peters' Church, says: "In consequence of this information, a large supply of flour, rice, medi- cine, and other necessaries, were immediately forwarded for the relief of the sufferers. And to enable those, who chose to return to their planta- tions, to defend themselves against future attacks of the Indians, the vestry of Christ church and St. Peters were of opinion that the refugees should be furnished with two chests of arms, and half a barrel of powder, four hundred pounds of lead, two hundred of swan shot, and one thou- sand flints. These were accordingly sent with instructions to sell them to prudent and good people as are in want of them, and will use them for their defense, for the prices charged in the invoice." Pioneer Runners. During these trying periods the pioneers employed men who were dispatched as runners to give settlers notice of impending danger. They were accustomed to hunting, immune to hardships and with a thorough knowledge of the country. There were thirty in the territory west of the Susquehanna and south of the Juniata to the Allegheny Mountains. They were a lot of intrepid, resolute fellows, on the order of our present admirable troops of State Constabulary, and were in the command of a man who had been a captive of the Indians for several years and knew their traits, but whose name unfortunately fails to be recorded. According to Votes of the Assembly, Sept. 17, 1763, the Colonial legislators were appealed to for assistance in retaining this body of scouts in existence. The terror of the citizens subsided but little until Colonel Bou- quet conquered the Indians in 1764 and compelled them to solicit peace. A condition of the peace terms was that the Indians were to give up all the women and children which they held in captivity. Among them were many who had been seized as mere children and had grown up among the savages, learning their language and for- getting their own. Their affections were even with the savages. Some mothers found lost children but others were unable to iden- tify theirs. The separation between the Indians and the captives was heart-rending, the red men shedding many tears and the cap- tives leaving reluctantly. Many of these captives later voluntarily rejoined the Indians. Some had married Indians, but from choice, 92 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA records tell us. A girl who had been captured at the age of four- teen and had married an Indian and was the mother of several children, said: "Can I enter my parents' dwelling? Will they be kind to my children ? Will my old companions associate with the wife of an Indian chief? Will I desert my husband, who has been kind?" During the night she fled to her husband and children. A great many of these prisoners were brought to Carlisle, among them the captives from Perry County. Colonel Bouquet advertised for those who had lost children to come and look for them. Among those who came was an old lady who had lost a child many years before, but she was unable to identify her. With a break- ing heart the old lady told Colonel Bouquet her sad story, relating how she used to sing to the little one a hymn of which the child was so fond. The colonel requested her to sing it then, in the presence of the captives, and she did, the words being: 'Alone, yet not alone am I, Though in this solitude so drear ; I feel my Saviour always nigh, He comes my every hour to cheer." As the sweet voice of the mother so beautifully sang the words, from among the captives sprang a young girl and rushed into her mother's arms. During the time of the French and Indian War, 1756-61, the world was largely at war. The ships of France and England even carried it to the great high seas. Capture; and Release of Frederick Stump. In January. 1768, a party of Indians visited a pioneer, Frederick Stump, later known as the "Indian killer," at his cabin on Middle Creek (now in Snyder County), and differences arising, he and his employe, named Ironcutter, killed the Indians and also those at a cabin four miles distant, so that the news would not reach the Indian settlements. The bodies were thrown into the creek and floated down it to the Susquehanna; one was found along the shore near what is now New Cumberland, Pa., then below Harris' Ferry. It was interred by James Galbraith and Jonathon Hoge, who reported it to John Penn, then provincial governor. One William Blythe traveled to Philadelphia and under oath stated that he had seen Stump at the home of George Gabriel and heard his story, in which he admitted the murders. Penn issued a proclamation offering a reward for Stump and Ironcutter, promising to punish them with death and notifying the Indians of what he had done. Sir William Johnson sent an ur- gent message to the Indians, saying, "If they know any of the relatives of these persons murdered at Middle Creek, to send them TREATY OF PEACE— INDIAN WARFARE 93 to him, that he might wipe the tears from their eyes, comfort their afflicted hearts and satisfy them on account of their grievances." As soon as Capt. William Patterson, formerly of Lancaster County, but then residing on the Juniata, heard of the murders he- went, without waiting orders of the authorities, with a party of nineteen men, and arrested Stump and Ironcutter, and delivered them to John Holmes, the sheriff, at Carlisle. Aware that the Indians would be exasperated at hearing of the murders he sent a messenger to the west branch country to them, telling of the arrest. As the messages and replies are of much historical interest they are reproduced in full. First, his official report: Carlisle, January 23, 1768. Sir: The 21st instant, I marched a party of nineteen men to George Gabriel's house, at Penn's Creek mouth, and made prisoners of Frederick Stump and John Ironcutter, who were suspected to having murdered ten of our friend Indians near Augusta; and I have this day delivered them to Mr. Holmes at Carlisle jail. Yesterday I sent a person to the Great Island, that understood the In- dian language, with a talk; a copy of which is enclosed. Myself and party were exposed to great danger, by the desperate re- sistance made by Stump and his friends, who sided with him. The steps I have taken, I flatter myself, will not be disapproved of by the gentle- men in the government; my sole view being directed to the service of the frontiers, before I heard his honor the governor's orders. The mes- sage I sent to the Indians I hope will not be deemed assuming an author- ity of my own, as you are very sensible I am no stranger to the Indians, or their customs. I am, with respect, Your most obedient humble servant, W. Patterson. The message to the Six Nations, in the west branch country : Juniata, January 22, 1768. Brothers of the Six Nations, Delawares, and other inhabitants of the West Branch of Susquehanna, hear what I have to say to you : With a heart swelled with grief, I have to inform you that Frederick Stump and John Ironcutter hath, unadvisedly, murdered ten of our friend Indians near Fort Augusta. The inhabitants of the province of Pennsyl- vania do disapprove of the said Stump and Ironcutter's conduct; and as proof thereof, I have taken them prisoners, and will deliver them into the custody of officers, that will keep them ironed in prison for trial ; and I make no doubt, as many of them as are guilty, will be condemned, and die for the offence. Brothers, I being truly sensible of the injury done you, I only add these few words, with my heart's wish, that you may not rashly let go the fast hold of our chain of friendship, for the ill-conduct of one of our bad men. Believe me, brothers, we Englishmen, continue the same love for you that hath usually subsisted between our grandfathers, and I desire you to call at Fort Augusta, to trade with our people, for the necessaries you stand in need of. I pledge you my word, that no white man there shall molest any of you, while you behave as friends. I shall not rest by night nor day until I receive your answer. Your friend and brother, W. Patterson. riginally the Juniata's waters joined with those of the Sus- quehanna at two points, one being a channel at the north end of Duncan's Island, thus forming between the rivers an island, orig- inally known as Juniata Island to the natives. This channel was known to early rivermen as "the gut." Marcus ITulings connected it with the mainland by a causeway, so that pack horses could pass over. Although it retains the name "island," it is in reality no longer an island, as the channel at the upper end has long since been filled in, the same having been done when the Pennsylvania canal was building. During the great floods of 1846 and 1889 the embankment was swept away and each time was rebuilt at gnat expense, the first time by the state, then in possession of the canals, and the last time by the Pennsylvania Railroad, at an ex- pense of $60,000. Across it passed that great artery of traffic, the Pennsylvania canal, and over it now passes the William Penn highway and the Susquehanna 'frail. Much of this fill-in was dug out when the highway was put through recently, and whether this was discreet only another great flood will tell, but rivermen eon- tend that it will again break through. Duncan's Island is almost two miles long, and almost all of it is now the property of William If. Richter. It contains approxi- mately 300 acres of land. During the first decade of the Nine- teenth Century a village sprang up at its southern point and was named I'envenue. It still exists, but is now largely summer cot- 118 DUNCAN'S AND HALDEMAN'S ISLANDS 719 tages. Here once stood the Indian village of "Choniata" or "Juneauta," of which there is record as early as 1654 and as late as 1745. From this lower point of the island a long, covered wooden bridge spans the Susquehanna to Clark's Ferry, a station 011 the Northern Central Railway, and an iron bridge spans the Juniata to a point near Juniata Bridge, a station on the main line 1 if the Pennsylvania Railroad. When the Pennsylvania canal was in operation the mule teams which drew the boats crossed the Susquehanna bridge on a tow- path built on the outside, towing the canal boats across the river at this point, through Green's dam — now commonly referred to as the Clark's Ferry dam. The original ferry over the Juniata was conducted by the Baskins family, some of whose descendants to this day live near by. In Watson's Annals the following statement is to be found : "This island was the favorite home of the Indians and there are still many Indian remains. At the angle of the canal, near the great bridge, I saw the mound covered with trees, from which were taken hundreds of cartloads of human bones, and which were used with the intermixed earth as filling materials for one of the shoulders or bastions of the dam. What sacrilege ! There were also among them beads, trinkets, etc." During the latter part of the last century and the beginning of the twentieth the writer was a resident of the near by vicinity and knows of many arrowheads, Indian hatchets, skinning stones, etc., being found on the islands, and present day residents say they are still being 4 found, especially when turning up the ground. As late as 1916 the Susquehanna Archaeological Expedition, of which Mr. George P. Donehoo, the noted authority upon Indian and Colonial history, was a member, found many evidences of Indian occupa- tion upon Duncan's Island. They gathered many hundred speci- mens of Indian origin, including banner stones, hatchets, arrow points, etc. The upper end of the island is even now covered with cracked stones used at fireplaces. On one of the paths at the lower end of the island, Dr. Moorehead, of the Expedition, found an unsual specimen — a half-finished banner stone. The so-called Indian mound was dug into, but no traces of Indian work found there. Duncan's Island, even to the eye, but more so to memory, seems a spot of fascination and romance, and its uncounted his- torical data, like its silt levels, is more or less submerged. It was here that tradition would have two powerful tribes, the Delawares and Cayugas, fight for days until the eddying river inlets along shore were crimsoned. To tell the tale we have only vast quantities <>f broken spearheads and arrows, and they are but mute evidence, but to the winner (the Cayugas, already familiar with firearms) 120 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA the strategic point between the rivers and the oncoming civiliza- tion was probably worth all it cost. Luckily a few records exist which makes it possible to get a glimpse into those early days. Marcus Huling, who came from Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, is credited by various historians as probably being the first settler of Duncan's Island, but there is no record to bear this out, but there are records relating to Hulings which disprove it. The first settler was William Baskins, referred to farther on. Hulings owned the point between the two rivers, long owned by Dr. Reut- ter's heirs. Rupp, the historian, gives the date as 1735. That he was there in 1744 is practically certain, as he was one of the searching party which hunted for the murdered man Armstrong in that year. (See "Murder of an Early Trader," chapter 2.) The locality is still the home of some of Hulings' descendants. In a rough draft submitted to the province to protect his own claim Hulings has left to posterity the names of a few of the first settlers of these lands and the vicinity, as the following pages will show, and at no place does he claim either ownership or occu- pancy. The Hulings family was of Swedish descent and on set- tling between the rivers he built the causeway over the strip of water connecting the two rivers and started a ferry over the Juniata. Trade at that time, it will be remembered, was all done with pack horses. Later he owned a toll bridge there, which at his death passed to Rebecca Hulings Duncan. With Braddock's defeat in 1755 came all the horrors of Indian warfare, and the scattered settlers in and around Perry County were obliged to flee. However, home, then as now, was dear to these pioneers, and some of them lingered long. Being apprised of the near approach of the redskins Marcus Hulings, grasping a few valuables, placed his wife and youngest child upon a large black horse and fled to the point of the island. His other children had previously gone to seek safety. Having forgotten something and thinking the Indians might not have arrived he ventured to return to the house. After carefully reconnoitering he entered and found an Indian upstairs "coolly picking his flint." He par- leyed with the Indian to escape death and got away. The delay caused his wife to believe him murdered and she swam the Sus- quehanna on horseback, although the water was high. When he arrived at the point he crossed in a light canoe and they finally reached Fort Hunter, having been preceded by the Baskins family and other fugitives. Here the inhabitants of Pextang (Harris- burg) had rallied for defense. In 1756 Mr. Hulings went to the western part of Pennsylvania and became the owner, whether by purchase or patent we do not know, of the point of land located between the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, where they meet and form the Ohio, and where DUNCAN'S AND HALDEMAN'S ISLANDS 121 Pittsburgh now stands. Becoming discontented he sold this west- ern property for £200 and returned to the one on the Juniata. While in western Pennsylvania encroachments were made on his lands in what is now Watts Township, Perry County, and he protested, as the following letter still in existence, shows : "Fort Pitt, May the 7th, 1762. "To William Peters, Esq., Secretary to the Propriatories in land office in Philadelphia, &c: "The petitioner hereof humbly sheweth his grievance in a piece of un- cultivated land, laying in Cumberland County (now Perry), on the North- west side of Juneadey, laying in the very Forks and Point between the two rivers, Susquehanna and Juneadey, a place that I Improved and lived on one Year and a half on the said place till the enemeyes in the beginning of the last Warrs drove me away from it, and I have had no opertunity yet to take out a Warrant for it ; my next neighbor wass one Joseph Greenwood, who sold his improvement to Mr. Neaves, a merchant in Philadelphia, who took out a warrant for the S'd place, and gave it into the hands of Collonel John Armstrong, who is Surveyor for Cumberland county; and while I was absent from them parts last summer, Mr. Arm- strong runed out that place Joyning me, for Mr. Neaves ; and as my place layes in the verry point, have encroached too much on me and Take away part of Improvements; the line Disided between me and Joseph Greenwood was up to the first short small brook that emptyed into Sus- quehanna above the point, and if I should have a strait line run'd from the one river to the other with equal front on each River from that brook, I shall not have 300 acres in that survey ; the land above my house upon Juneadey is much broken and stoney. I have made a rough draft of the place and lines, and if Your Honor will be pleased to see me righted, the Petitioner hereof is in Duty bound ever for you to pray; from verry humble serv't. Marcus Hulings." Accompanying the above was a note to Mr. Peters, which shows that Hulings also had a claim on the south (west) side of the Juniata. The note: "May ye 17th, 1762. "Sir: I have left orders for Mr. Mathias Holston, living in Upper Merrion of Philadelphia county, to take out two warrants for me, one for the Point between the two Rivers, and one for the Improvements I have in the place called the Onion bottom on the south side of Juneadey right opposite to the other, where I lived six months before I moved to the other place; from your humble servant, Marcus Hulings." "Accompanying these letters was the rough draft spoken of in the first letter, an attempted description of which follows : Three islands are marked. The one now known as Duncan's is marked "Island" and the house upon it as "Widow Baskins." The large island in the Susquehanna known as Haldeman's is marked "Is- land" and three houses located, the lower one being marked "Fran- cis Baskins," the next a third up on the east side, "George Clark," and a little above the centre, "Francis Ellis." On the east bank of the Susquehanna, almost opposite, is a house marked "James Reed," while between the centre of the island and the western shore is a small triangular island. T22 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA On the point between the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers is Hillings' residence. Some distance from the point is a straight line running from river to river, marked "this is the way I want my line," while above, on the west bank of the Susquehanna, nearly opposite the James Reed house, is "Mr. Neave's house." Farther up the river, opposite a small island, is another house also marked "Francis Ellis." A circuitous line shows where Neave's line crossed that of Hulings. On the south side of the Juniata, below the mouth thereof, is a house marked "William Kerl," and opposite the points of Duncan's Island is "James Baskins'." Farther up, in the plot called the "Onion bottom," is another house marked "Marcus Hulings." Beyond this, on the south side of the Juniata, is a house marked "Cornelius Acheson," who is also credited with encroaching on Hulings' "Onion bottom" property. On the east side of the Susquehanna River Peters' Mountain and "the nar- roughs" are marked. As Hulings likely came to these fertile lands with provincial sanction and probably insistence to induce settle- ment it is believed that his claims, which also appear to be founded on prior right, were adjusted to his satisfaction. In 1788 Marcus Hidings died. During the earliest years of their life in that vicinity Mrs. Hulings on mor* than one occasion forded the Susquehanna on horseback with a oag of grain which she took to the mill at Fort Hunter. Marcus, the eldest Hidings' son, did not return with the family to this vicinity, but remained in Pittsburgh, where he established a ferry at what is now the foot of Liberty Street, over the Monongahela River. It was aft- erwards known as Jones' Ferry. He was later employed in mov- ing military stores on the rivers in that vicinity and in other work in behalf of the government and pioneers. Another son located in the western part of the province and was the owner of Hillings' Island, in the Allegheny River. Thomas Hulings, the youngest son, became the owner of the estate in the East. He died in Buffalo Township in 1808. His first wife was a daughter of General Frederick Watts, of Revolu- tionary fame. Their oldest daughter, Rebecca, married Robert Callendar Duncan, a son of Judge Duncan, of Carlisle and it is through him that Duncan's Island gets its name, he eing the grandfather of Mr. P. F. Duncan, cashier of the Duncai non Na- tional Bank; Mrs. William Wills and Mrs. Frank McM;>rris, of Duncannan, the line of descent coming through Benjamin Stiles I )uncan. As previously stated, Duncan's Island was the seat of an Indian village, known as "Juneauta," in fact the island was known by that name among the Indian tribes. There is a tradition which is strongly substantiated that at one time the Cayugas and the Dela- ware's fought a battle here. To David Brainerd, a graduate of DUNCAN'S AND HALDRMAN'S ISLANDS 123 Vale College and a distinguished missionary, posterity is indebted for a glimpse into the utter debauchery and dissoluteness of the tribe of Indians located here, and in all probability a counterpart of the lives of Indians generally in those days. It is the first record of the Shawnees in these islands. He became so devoted to the gospel that he consecrated his whole life to the evangelizing of the savages, lie came down the Susquehanna afoot and on May 19. 1745. he landed at the Indian town of Juneauta. In his diary he says, evidently discouraged: "Was much discouraged with the temper and behavior of the Indians here ; although they appeared friendly when I was with them last spring, and then gave me encouragement to come and see them again. But they now seem resolved to retain their pagan notions, and persist in their idolatrous practices." On September 20 he again visited the island and while his descriptions as recorded in his diary are rather long they are reproduced here in full. lie says: "Found them almost universally very busy in making preparations for a great sacrifice and dance. Had" no opportunity to get them together, in order to discourse with them about Christianity, by reason of their being so much engaged about their sacrifice. My spirits were much sunk with a prospect so very discouraging; and especially seeing I had this day no interpreter but a pagan, who was as much attached to idolatry as any of them, and who could neither speak nor understand the language of these Indians; so that I was under the greatest disadvantages imaginable. How- ever I attempted to discourse privately with some of them, but without any appearance of success; notwithstanding, I still tarried with them, "In the evening they met together, nearly 100 of them, and danced around a large fire, having prepared ten fat deer for the sacrifice. The fat of the inwards they burnt in the fire while they were dancing, which sometimes raised the fire to a prodigious height; at the same time yelling and shouting in such a manner that they might easily have been heard two miles or more. They continued their sacred dance nearly all night, after which they ate the flesh of the sacrifice, and so retired, each one to his own lodging. "I enjoyed little satisfaction, being entirely alone on the island, as to Christian company, and in the midst of this idolatrous revel ; and having walked to and fro till body and mind were pained and much oppressed, I at length crept into a little crib made for corn and there slept on the poles." The next entry is dated Lord's day, Sept. 21, and continues: "Spent the day with the Indians on the island. As soon as they were well up in the morning I attempted to instruct them, and labored for that purpose to get them together, but soon found they had something else to do, for near noon they gathered together all of their conjurors and set about half a dozen of them playing their juggling tricks and acting their frantic, distracted postures, in order to find out why they were then "so sickly upon the island, numbers of them at that time being disordered with a fever and bloody flux. In this exercise they were engaged for several hours, making all the wild, ridiculous and distracted motions imaginable, sometimes singing, sometimes howling, sometimes extending 124 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA their hands to the utmost stretch, spreading their fingers ; they seemed to push with them as if they designed to push something away, or at least keep it off at arm's end; sometimes stroking their faces with their hands, then spurting water as fine mist ; sometimes sitting flat on the earth, then bowing their faces to the ground; then wringing their sides as if in pain or anguish, twisting their faces, turning up their eyes, grunting, puffing, &c. "Their monstrous actions tended to excite ideas of horror, and seemed to have something in them, as I thought, peculiarly suited to raise the devil, if he could be raised by anything odd, ridiculous and frightful. Some of them, I could observe, were much more fervent and devout in the business than others, and seemed to chant and mutter with a great degree of warmth and vigor, as if determined to awaken and engage the powers below. I sat at a small distance, not more than thirty feet from them, though undiscovered, with my Bible in my hand, resolving, if pos- sible, to spoil their sport, and prevent their receiving any answers from the infernal world, and there viewed the whole scene. They continued their horrid charms and incantations for more than three hours, until they had all wearied themselves out, although they had in that space of time taken several intervals of rest, and at length broke up, I apprehended, without receiving any answer at all. "After they had done powwowing I attempted to discourse with them about Christianity, but they soon scattered and gave me no opportunity for anything of that nature. A view of these things, while I was entirely alone in the wilderness, destitute of the society of any one who so much as 'named the name of Christ' greatly sunk my spirits and gave me the most gloomy turn of mind imaginable, almost stripped me of all resolu- tion and hope respecting further attempts for propagating the gospel and converting the pagans, and rendered this the most burdensome and dis- agreeable Sabbath which I ever saw. But nothing, I can truly say, sunk and distressed me like the loss of my hope respecting their conversion. This concern seemed to be so great and seemed to be so much my own, that I seemed to have nothing to do on earth if this failed. A prospect of the greatest success in 1 the saving conversion of souls under gospel light would have done little or nothing towards compensating for the loss of my hope in this respect; and my spirits were so damp and depressed that I had no heart nor power to make any further attempts among them for that purpose, and could not possible recover my hope, resolution and courage by the utmost of my endeavors. "The Indians of this island can, many of them, understand the English language considerably well, having formerly lived in some part of Mary- land, among or near the white people, but are very drunken, vicious and profane, although not so savage as those who have less acquaintance with the English. Their customs, in various respects, differ from those of the other Indians upon this river. They do not bury their dead in a common form, but let their flesh consume above the ground, in closed cribs made for that purpose. At the end of a year, or sometimes a longer space of time, they take the bones when the flesh is all consumed and wash and scrape them and afterwards bury them with some ceremony. Their method of charming or conjuring over the sick, seems somewhat different from that of the other Indians, though in substance the same. The whole of it among these and others, perhaps, is an imitation of what seems, by Naa- man's expression (Kings 2-11) to have been the custom of the ancient heathen. It seems chiefly to consist in their 'striking their hands over the diseased, repeatedly stroking them, and calling upon their god;' except DUNCAN'S AND HALDEMAN'S ISLANDS 125 the spurting of water like a mist and some of the other frantic ceremonies common to the other conjurations which I have already mentioned. "When I was in this region in May last I had an opportunity of learning of the notions and customs of the Indians, as well as of ohserving many of their practices. I then traveled more than 130 miles upon the river, above the English settlements, and in that journey met with individuals of seven or eight distinct tribes, speaking as many different languages. But of all the sights I ever saw among them, or indeed anywhere else, none appeared so frightful, or so near akin to what is usually imagined of infernal powers, none ever excited such images of terror in my mind as the appearance of one who was a devout or zealous reformer, or rather restorer of what he supposed was the ancient religion of the Indians. He made his appearance in his 'pontificial' garb, which was a coat of bear skins, dressed with the hair on and hanging down to his toes; a pair of bear-skin stockings and a great wooden face painted, the one-half black, the other half tawney, about the color of the Indians' skin, with an ex- travagant mouth cut very much awry ; the face fastened to a bear-skin cap, which was drawn over his head. "He advanced toward me with the instrument in his hand which he used for music in his idolatrous worship, which was a dry tortoise shell with some corn in it, the neck of it drawn on to a piece of wood, which made a very convenient handle. As he came forward he beat his tune with the rattle and danced with all his might, but did not suffer any part of his body, even his fingers, to be seen. No one would have imagined from his appearance or actions that he could have been a human creature, if they had not had some intimation of it otherwise. When he came near me I could not but shrink away from him, although it was then noonday, and I knew who it was ; his appearance and gestures were so prodigiously frightful. He had a house consecrated to religious uses, with divers images cut upon the several parts of it. I went in and found the ground beat almost as hard as a rock, with their frequent dancing upon it. I discoursed with him about Christianity. Some of my discourse he seemed to like, but some of it he disliked extremely. He told me that God had taught him his religion and that he would never turn from it, but wanted to find some who would join heartily with him in it; for the Indians, he said, were grown very degenerate and corrupt. He had thoughts, he said, of leaving all his friends and traveling abroad in order to find some who would join with him; for he believed that God had some good people somewhere who felt as he did. He had not always, he said, felt as he now did, but had formerly been like the rest of the Indians until about four or five years before that time. Then, he said, his heart was very much distressed, so that he could not live among the Indians, but got away into the woods and lived alone for months. At length, he said, God comforted his heart and showed him what he should do, and since that time he had known God and tried to serve Him; and loved all men, be they who they would, so as he never did before. "He treated me with uncommon courtesy and seemed to be heart in it. I was told by the Indians that he was opposed to their drinking strong liquor with all his power; and that, if at any time he could not dissuade them from it by all he could say, he would leave them and go crying into the woods. It was manifest that he had a set of religious notions which he had examined for himself and not taken for granted upon bare tradi- tion ; and he relished or disrelished whatever was spoken of a religious nature, as it either agreed or disagreed with his standard. While I was discoursing he would sometimes say: 'Now, that I like; so God has taught me,' &c, and some of his sentiments seemed very just. Yet he 126 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA utterly denied the existence of a devil and declared there was no such creature known among the Indians of old times, whose religion he sup- posed he was attempting to revive. He likewise told me that departed souls went southward and that the difference between the good and bad was this: that the former were admitted into a beautiful town with spiritual walls and that the latter would forever hover around these walls in vain attempts to get in. He seemed to be sincere, honest and conscien- tious in his own way and according to his own religious notions, which was more than I ever saw in any other pagan. I perceived that he was looked upon and derided among most of the Indians as a precise zealot, who made a needless noise about religious matters, but I must say that there was something in his temper and disposition which looked more like true religion than anything I ever observed among other heathen. But alas! how deplorable is the state of the Indians upon this river! The brief representation which I have here given of their notions and manners is sufficient to show that they are led captive by Satan at his will in the most eminent manner; and methinks might likewise be sufficient to excite the compassion and engage the prayers of God's children for these, their fellow men, who 'sit in the region of the shadow of death.' " September 22 the entry is as follows: "Made some further attempts to instruct and Christianize the Indians on this island, but all to no purpose. They live so near the white people that they are always in the way of strong liquor, as well as the ill example of nominal Christians; which renders it so unspeakably difficult to treat with them about Christianity." The following summer ( 1746) Brainerd again passed up the Susquehanna valley and made the following notations in his diary: August 19. Lodged by the side of the Susquehanna. Was weak and disordered both this and the preceding day, and found my spirits consid- erably damped, meeting with none that I thought godly people. August 21. Rode up the river about 15 miles and lodged there, in a family which appeared quite destitute of God. Labored to discourse with the man about the life of religion, but found him very artful in evading such conversation. Oh, what a death it is to some, to hear of the things of God! Was out of my element, but was not so dejected as at some times. August 22. Continued my course up the river, my people now being with me who before were parted from me. Traveled above all the Eng- lish settlements ; at night lodged in the open woods, and slept with more comfort than while among an ungodly company of white people. Enjoyed some liberty in secret prayer this evening; and was helped to remember dear friends, as well as my dear flock, and the church of God in general. Brainerd returned down the river in October, weak and feeble from exposure in the outdoors, never again to return to his be- loved work. lie died in New England in the following October. Jones' History of the Juniata Valley, in speaking of Indian hos- tilities, says : "That they had many fierce and sanguinary struggles among themselves is well authenticated. A battle almost of extermination was once fought between two tribes at Juniata — now known as Duncan's Island — within the memory of many Indians who were living when the whites settled among them. This island must have been a famous battleground — a very Waterloo — in its day. When the canal was in progress of construction, DUNCAN'S AND I IA1.DKM AX'S ISLANDS 127 hundreds of skeletons were exhumed; and to this day stone arrowheads can be found upon almost any part of the island." Rupp, in his history, recites an early Indian story of the Bas- kins family having been furnished the information by Mitchell Steever, Esq., of Newport, Pa. The William Baskins referred to was a granduncle to the late Cornelius and James Baskins, who will be remembered by many readers of this volume and whose descendants yet reside in various parts of the county. It appears that at one time Baskins had a crop of grain matur- ing on Duncan's Island while the Indians were on a rampage. He had previously removed his family to Fort Hunter for security, what was known as Fort Hunter in those days, being an outpost opposite to the present town of Marysville. With part of his family Baskins had returned to cut his grain. While engaged in reaping they were startled by a war whoop close by, but seeing neighboring Indians they were not alarmed. But they were de- ceived, as the savages soon gave them to understand that they were after scalps. They all fled, hotly pursued, toward the house, but Mr. Baskins, caught in the act of getting his gun, was shot dead and scalped. His wife, a son of three, and a daughter of seven years were abducted. A man named McClean was also in the field, but pi tinged into the Juniata and swam to "Sheep Island" (above the iron bridge on the Juniata) and concealed himself in the cleft of some rocks on the far side and thus eluded capture. As a captive nearing Carlisle Mrs. Baskins escaped from the In- dians. The daughter was taken to the Miami country, west of the Ohio, then an unbroken wilderness, where she was held in cap- tivity for more than six years, when, in conformity with a treaty made with the Indians, as mentioned in a previous chapter of this hook, she was returned. She later married a man named John Smith, whose descendants lived in Newport, Pa., during the middle of the last century. The lad, who was captured at the same time, was taken to Canada, where he was raised by Sir William John- ston, who didn't know his name and who had him baptized "Timo- thy Murphy." This Baskins lad ("Timothy Murphy") had a venturesome life. He was one of the chief riflemen of Morgan's celebrated sharp- shooters. At the battle of Bemis Heights Morgan selected a few of his best marksmen and directed them to make (General Fraser, of the British troops, their especial target. A number fired with no effect, but at the crack of Murphy's gun Fraser fell. Shortly after the battle of Monmouth, three companies of Mor- gan's troops were sent into Schoharie, New York. Among these -was Murphy, and the tories set an extra price upon his scalp, which it was never necessary to pay, although many Indians tried for it. I [e had grown into a stout, well-built man, with jet-black hair and £28 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA eyes and was handsome. While the tories failed to get him here he had many hairbreadth escapes, but usually in the nick of time something turned up to save him. At one time he possessed a double-barreled rifle, an unknown weapon to the Indians. He was being chased by a party, and, although he could usually get away, now they were gaining on him. He turned and shot one and succeeded in getting behind a tree where he quickly reloaded the empty chamber. As they again gained on him he stopped and shot another, but they resumed the chase, desiring to capture him alive and torture him before a slow fire. They were again gaining and in despair he jumped behind a tree, and as they advanced shot a third one. They immediately fled and in after years "Murphy" learned that they had seen him fire three times without reloading and that they thought he had "a great medicine of a gun that would shoot forever." When the war was over, "Murphy," true to the characteristics of his forbears, became a farmer. Records tell of his death occur- ring from a disease contracted while saving the children of a neigh- bor during a winter flood. When peace was declared and the independence of the colonies became a fact many of the Schoharie Indians returned to settle among the people whose buildings they had burned and whose relatives they had killed and scalped. Of the worst of his tribe was an Indian named Seths Henry, who had killed more than any other and who would sometimes leave upon a dead body a war club containing many notches cut therefrom. He too came back and one day started to call on the different settlers. Not un- strangely "Murphy" followed him and there is no record to show that the Indian arrived anywhere in this world. Then, there began strange disappearances of tories and Indians and coincident there was always a fire of brush in the same vicin- ity in which might have been found their ashes. The remaining renegades and savages took the hint and left the community. Timothy Murphy became a wonderful stump speaker and a political power in Schoharie County. He brought William C. Bouck into public life and later to the gubernatorial chair of New York. His mother, the widow of William Baskins, the first set- tler of Duncan's Island, remarried, her second husband being Francis Ellis. He established a ferry across the Susquehanna dur- ing the Revolution and carried on the business for many years. After the Baskins boy's capture by the Indians he was first heard of through Alexander Stephens, grandfather of Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, and father of the late James Stephens, of Juniata Township, by a peculiar mark on the head. He later visited Perry County and the island and James Smith, his nephew, when in Canada during the War of 1812, vis- DUNCAN'S AND HALDEMAN'S ISLANDS 129 ited him near a place called Maiden, and found him to he the owner of a large estate. The original Clark's Ferry crossed the Susquehanna at a point about the centre of Duncannon, its western landing being at the point where Clark's run empties into the river. The Indians had a place in the vicinity where they forded the river, which they knew as "Queenashawakee." The Juniata they knew as "Choini- ata," or "Juneauta." In 1733 John Harris, who had a lust for land, had erected a cabin and cleared some fields on the island near "the white rock on the riverside." This caused a complaint by the Indians. This was on Haldeman's Island. At a Council held at Philadelphia Shikellamy, the Indian chief, through Conrad Weiser, the interpreter, asked whether the pro- prietary government had heard of a letter which he and Sassoonan had sent to Harris, asking him to desist from making a plantation at the mouth of the "Choinata," where he had built a house and was clearing fields. They were informed that Harris had only built that house for carrying on trade ; that his plantation on which were houses and barns was Pextang (now Harrisburg), where he dwelt and from which he was not supposed to remove, and that he had no order or permit to make a settlement on the "Choinata." Even if he had built his house for trading purposes Shikellamy said "he ought not to have cleared fields." He was informed that Harris had probably only cleared as much land as was needed for raising corn for his horses, to which Shikellamy rejoined that he "had no ill will to John Harris, in fact it was not his custom to bear ill will, but he is afraid that the warriors of the Six Nations, when they pass that way, may take it ill to see a settle- ment made on lands which they had always desired to be kept free from settlement." He was further informed that care would be taken to issue the necessary orders. In 1806 Robert C. Duncan, a son of the celebrated jurist, Thomas Duncan, of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (having married Rebecca Hulings), moved to Duncan's Island, where he spent the remainder of his days. It is from him that the island takes its name. His brother Stephen resided in what is now Perry County, near the mouth of Sherman's Creek, and was the founder of the Duncannon Forges, the forerunner of the Duncannon Iron Company. He subsequently removed to Washington, D. C, where he died. Robert C. Duncan had two sons, one of whom was Dr. Thomas Duncan, born in 18 14, a celebrated physician and a promi- nent member of the Pennsylvania Legislature. The other was Benjamin Stiles, horn in 1816, who went to Arkansas in his boy- hood, where he resided until 1858. He was a real estate operator and laid out a section of Arkadelphia, which is known to this day as "the Duncan Addition," He returned to Duncan's Island and 9 130 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA engaged in fanning, residing in the house in which he was horn until his death, which occurred in 1870. Sherman Day, in his Historical Collections of Pennsylvania ( [843) pays to Mrs. Duncan, widow of the late proprietor of Duncan's Island, the following tribute : "About half a mile above the village (Benvenue), Mrs. Duncan, ' the accomplished widow of Robert C. Duncan, still resides in the family mansion, where the traveler who chooses to tarry in this delightful region may find accommodations — not a hotel, with its bar and bottles, and blustering loafers; but in a comfortable, well- furnished gentleman's home, with its quiet fireside, and books, and intelligent society and amiable tea table." The old register of this hotel, beginning with February 6, 1841, is in the possession of Mr. P. F. Duncan, her grandson, and is a matter of much curiosity to the present day generation. Travel was then either overland or by packet. One entry reads thus : "Rev. Thomas C. Thornton and lady;" also four children, "all the family on the way to Clinton College, Mississippi." On an- other line is "Dr. D. L. N. Reutter, residence, Breach at Dun- can's Island." Susan Ickes Harding, a daughter of Dr. Jonas Ickes, was one of the travelers. Mrs. Harding later became a noted philanthropist in Central Illinois. Another name of interest is that of Lucretia Mott, a pioneer in woman's suffrage, "on her way to Clearfield." Among the earlier residents of the island during the past cen- tury were the Garmans, who settled there in 1828, Samuel Gar- man, long ticket agent and telegrapher for the Northern Central Railway at Clark's Ferry and now living retired at Millersburg, being a descendant. A man by the name of Updegraff built the "point house" in 1834. This was the house where the late J. L. Clugston lived, he who long kept a general store at the inlet lock. The Carpenter family came from Newport in "the forties," and of some of that family more appears in the chapter devoted to "River and Canal Transportation." Their sons who grew to man- hood were James, John, Thomas and George, and their daughter, Elizabeth, became the first wife of Stiles Duncan, owner at that time of Duncan's Island. She died September 25, 1857, aged twenty-four years. The channel between the two islands once was deep and swift, but years of constant deposit of silt has left it far less deep and its waters seem not nearly so swift as in the days of yore. Dun- can's Island has gone through some famous flood experiences, of winch there is an account in the chapter devoted to Rivers and Streams, elsewhere in this book. Both Duncan's and Haldeman's Islands are a part of Reed Township, Dauphin County, which was created by an act of the DUNCAN'S AND HALDHMAN'S ISLANDS 13' Legislature on April 6, 1849. It was named in honor of William Reed, who resided midway between Clark's Ferry and Halifax. Historically there appears to he little relating separately to llalde- man's Island. It was named for one of the early owners. It is separated from Duncan's Island by a narrow channel and unlike Duncan's Island it is not of alluvial origin, but is elevated high above the neighboring low-lying lands. It comprises 775 acres, which is divided into five farms each of 155 acres, the ownership of which remains in P. F. Duncan (two farms) and Mrs. Mary Haldeman Armstrong (three farms). A. Stephen Duncan once LOWER END OF HARDEMAN'S ISLAND, NEAR DUXCAXXOX. owned the Haldeman Island also, but sold it to John Haldeman for $11,775. It was then known as Baskins' Island. It was first surveyed in 1760. In the latter part of the eighteenth and the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, before the era of internal improvements in the state, which destroyed our fisheries, these islands were noted for their shad fisheries, where great catches were made. The assessment list of 175 1 describes everything above Peters' Mountain as "Narrows of Paxtang." Those on and around the islands at that time were Widow Murray, Robert Armstrong, Thomas Gaston, William Forster, Thomas Clark, John McKen- hedy, Robert Clark, Thomas Adams, Albert Adams, John Watt, William Baskins, George Wells, Francis Glass, George Clark, John Mecheltree, Francis Baskins (trader), John Clark, James Reed, James English, John Gevins, John Baskins, Thomas McKee, and I3 2 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA | (»hn Kelton. Charles Williams and John Lee (trader) are desig- nated as "Freemen." John Kelton was the collector. The dam across the Susquehanna, at the mouth of the Juniata, generally known as the Clark's Ferry Dam, was originally known as Green's Dam, by reason of the contractor's name having been Abbott Green. Mr. Green was born at Penn's Creek, Snyder County, and there grew to manhood. During the spring seasons he floated rafts down the river and thus became familiar with river traffic. He moved to Lewisburg and engaged in contracting upon the public works then under construction by the state. The con- struction of this dam — in that period a noted undertaking — was the crowning work of his life. Duncan's Island Methodist Church, Rebecca Duncan, a resi- dent of Duncan's Island, at a very early day of Methodism, opened her home for the preaching of that "faith. Through her efforts and at her expense the school board later added a second story to the public school building, which she donated to the cause for the use of the Methodists. In it regular services were conducted until the great flood of 1865, when, on March 16th, it was destroyed by the onrushing waters. The word was preached by the pastors of the Duncannon charge. At various times, and sometimes for long continuous periods, there have been Sunday school sessions of an undenominational character held in the public school building on Duncan's Island. The Clark's Ferry Bridge. The building of the Clark's Ferry bridge was, in that day, a considerable undertaking. It was to span the Susquehanna at a point above the location of the ferry conducted by the Clarks, and, as it was to be a part of a great highway across the state, men from five counties composed the commission which was organized forks erection. The commis- sioners appointed for that purpose were as follows: Christian Gleim, Archibald M'Allister, Innis Green and Abraham Gross, of Dauphin County; Robert Clark. John Boden, and Dr. Samuel Mealy, of Cumberland County (then including Perry, from which section these three men came) ; William Bell, Lewis Evans, David Hidings, Robert Robinson, and John Irwin, of Mifflin County (then including Juniata); William -Steel, Patrick Gwinn, and Maxwell Kinkead, of Huntingdon County, and James Potter, John Rankin, and John Irwin (Penn's Valley), of Centre County. The commission organized on Wednesday, May 22, 181 8, by electing John Boden, chairman, and Christian Gliem, secretary. They began their duties by holding their first view of a site on June 3, 1818. On April 17, 1837, a span of the bridge gave way and one end lodged upon a pier and could not easily be removed. It was then set on fire and floated down the river as it fell, a mass DUNCAN'S AND HALDEMAN'S ISLANDS 133 of flaming timber. Destruction of parts of the bridge by fire and flood at various times is told in the chapter devoted to "Rivers and Streams." While to the present generation it is a very, very ordinary struc- ture, yet it is described in a noted State History of 1844 as "a wooden bridge on the Barr plan, resting upon many piers, the whole constructed with an elegance and strength equal to if not surpassing any public work in the country." Harry McKee long kept a hotel at the east end of the bridge and also owned the first farm below the point of Peters' Mountain, which had descended from his ancestor, Thomas McKee, the trader, spoken of in our Indian chapters. When the Clark's Ferry bridge burned on May 14. 1846, the de- struction being credited to incendiarism, an arrest was made and the verdict of guilty in the Dauphin County courts — for both land- ings of the bridge are. in Dauphin County — doomed the defendant to a term of years in the Eastern penitentiary, although he then and in after years protested his innocence. According to two men who have long resided in Perry County, one (Jesse M. Pines) re- cently passing away, his contention may have been right. The inci- dent is printed here for that reason and also as showing methods of travel, etc. Many years afterwards, over forty years ago, in the later seven- ties, George Boyer, now an associate judge of Perry County, and Jesse Pines took an extensive horseback ride over parts of central and northen Pennsylvania. In the upper part of the state in a mountainous section known as Seven Mountains, above Towanda, they came upon a mountain tavern near a place known as Unity- ville, where they stopped for lodging. In a forlorn, forsaken sec- tion of the forest they took turns at sleeping, as the proprietor and the Negro porter's appearance seemed to forbode anything but good. They were the only occupants of the hotel. During the eve- ning one of the travelers chanced to refer in some way to Clark's Ferry. The colored fellow became agitated and, when asked if he had ever been there, replied that he had, but that he left the night that the bridge burned. Further questioning was of no avail, as all efforts to get him to say another word about Clark's Ferry were futile. Why did he leave the night the bridge burned ? The Mining of River Coal. Farther up the Susquehanna lay the rich anthracite coal beds. From them for generations down the river with the tide drifted ' deposits of the very smaller sizes of coal, which settled in various places where the current was not swift, forming coal beds upon the river's bottom. When coal from the mines was selling very 134 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA cheaply and when the canals were hauling it at a very low rate the mining or digging of this coal by pumping from the river bed would have been unprofitable and was not even considered, but with coal prices going up annually about 1890 there sprang up a business of pumping this coal by suction, and several outfits followed it for years. The coal is from the Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming districts, principally. In the early days of coal mining, sizes smaller than pea were thrown to the huge dumps until they became virtual mountains, containing millions of tons. Many of them were lo- cated along the Susquehanna and contributary streams, and from these immense culm banks spring freshets and rainy seasons car- ried the deposits of coal, which rivermen say exist clear to the Chesapeake Bay and at some places have been found to be five feet in depth. The coal operations at Green's Dam, commonly known as the Clark's Ferry Dam, commenced in the vicinity of Benvenue in 1890. Like many other industries it began in a small way, the coal being taken out by hand scoops and canoes, followed by small flats of three-ton capacity, for stove use. Shortly after Santo & Pease, of Harrisburg, arrived with a steam outfit, with which they loaded canal boats for transportation to Harrisburg. This was followed by others and, in [894, a Mr. Squires, a Wilkes-Barre machinist, built and put in operation the largest plant on the river, with the late George B. Lukens as foreman. This plant was bought in June, 1897, by B. F. Demaree, a Newport business man, who retained Mr. Lukens, and added four fifty-ton flats to the plant. With these and two canal boats the coal was conveyed to Harris- burg, where it was largely sold to the public utility plants. Rail shipments followed in 1902, and the orders were at times for amounts from 500 to 5,000 tons. This coal found its way to such buyers as Dickinson College, the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com- pany, the Arbuckle Coffee Company, etc. The beginning of the erection of the stone arch railroad bridge across the Susquehanna near Marysville necessitated the closing of the canal and the end of that method of shipping. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company then put in a siding near Clark's Ferry, where the coal was loaded by derricks, operated by both horse-power and steam. With in- creased automobile traffic the State Highway Department stopped the swinging of derricks over the highway, and it became necessary to introduce the hydraulic system of loading, which has materially increased the output. The ice flood of 1919 made a breach in the dam and injured the coal business materially, which for thirty years flourished there, and may, eventually mean its ending. There has been an annual increase in the production ; in 1897 it was as little as 8,000 tons, while in 1920 it totaled 150,000 tons. An DUNCAN'S AND HARDEMAN'S ISLANDS 135 average of thirty men have been employed by the various firms operating. The Demaree plant is now owited by Harry V. Lukens, who purchased it in 1908. Another operator is H. E. Lukens, his father, who, about 1899, purchased the outfit started by a Mr. Seiler, of Dalmatia, in 1893. The third plant still in the business is that of Hicks Brothers, of Auburn, Pennsylvania, who pur- chased out the plant of John Zeigler, about 1912, which he had operated as early as 190 1. In fact, Mr. Zeigler and John Briner had converted an old river steamer, known as the "Shad Fly," into a coal dredge, the previous year, but had dissolved partnership, Mr. Briner retaining the outfit, but retiring from the business about 1904. Bald Eagle Island. While Bald Eagle Island is a part of Dauphin County, yet its location in the Susquehanna River at Montgomery's Ferry is but a few hundred feet from the Perry County shore line. That it is a part of Dauphin County comes from the fact that the county line is stated in the act creating the county as "to the westward of the Susquehanna." The order of survey dated October 23, 1809, to George Eckert, "of Strasburgh Township, and county of Lancas- ter," and John Shura, "of the township of Upper Paxton, and county of Dauphin," describes it as "Bare Island, opposite the lands of John Huggins, on the Cumberland County shore and about a quarter mile below Berry's Falls or riffles." It is signed by Gov- ernor Snyder, the third governor of Pennsylvania. Through this earliest of records one learns the fact that it was once known as Bare Island. It is now owned by Mr. James D. Bowman, of Mil- lersburg, who has a fishing lodge there, which was erected by Mr. Christian S. Albright, about 1902, and which he remodeled and enlarged in 1909. Mr. Bowman is an adept fisherman and seldom fails to furnish to the many large and joyous gatherings assembled there at his command, a luncheon of black bass. Bald Eagle Island has long been a source for finding many In- dian relics, which would imply that it was probably an Indian camping ground. From an Indian standpoint it possessed two distinct advantages; one being the lookout both up and down the river, and the other that it was an ideal fishing ground, which it still is. There was also an early fording here, the width of the river at this point during low water being not over five-eighths of a mile. The island contains approximately five acres, not includ- ing the sand bar at the north end. A third of a century ago the Harrisburg Young Men's Christian Association used it as their annual camping ground. The name Bald Eagle was given to the island by reason of the fact that there once stood on it a large and high pine tree, on which for many years the eagles had their nests 136 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA and hatched their young. The tree was blown down, but the stump of it remained as late as 1899. There and at Mt. Patrick, that high and steep end of Berry Mountain — about a mile north — these birds bred and reared their young for many years. Since the pine tree is no more they still have their habitat at Mt. Patrick, and during the summer of 19 19 Mr. Bowman, the owner of the island, ob- served six of them, while during 1920 he could locate but one pair. He has often seen them dart from the air at great speed and dive for fish, almost always with success, coming up with a large fish in their talons. One of the largest of the eagles in the Zoological Gardens at Philadelphia for many years was captured at Berry's Falls, above the island and below Mt. Patrick, having hurt its wing in diving for fish. Just below this point is where William Mont- gomery established his ferry, soon after 1827, the village there still bearing that name. On the Dauphin County side this ferry was known as Morehead's. "WHERE THE RIVERS MEET." Landscape showing the junction of the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers, the Clark's Ferry Dam and Bridge, and Duncan's Island. CHAPTER VII. COMING OF THE TRADER. WHO the first white man was that set foot upon the soils of present Perry County must forever remain a mystery, for there were no records kept of matters of that nature. However, it must have been some trader or adventurer. In the davs of the early settlement of the province the Indians even from afar journeyed to the seaboard to trade with the newcomers. The skins and furs they brought became so valuable abroad that, many years before settlements in the interior were even dreamed of, the trader traveled the fastnesses of the mountains and ascended the rivers in quest of gain. Often the worst class of men went into the business of trading and penetrating the forests, built up a business with the Indians. There is record of James LeTort, a trader who "went out" from Carlisle as early as 1727. As the "Allegheny Path" was the route of travel to "Allegheny on the branch of the Ohio," where he traded, he was evidently among the first white men to travel this territory. LeTort's date of settlement at Carlisle is said to have been in 1720. By 1735 there were over twenty regular traders journeying back and forth across the county to the Ohio In fact, even earlier — as early as 1704, Joseph Jessup, James LeTort, Peter Bazalion, Martin Chartier and Nocholas Goden, all Frenchmen, were traders with the Indians on the Susquehanna and with those west of the Alleghenies, via the old Indian trail, supposed even then to have been the "Allegheny Path." That traders even carried on a traffic in rum at that early day is substantiated by a protest made July 23, 1727, at a council held at Philadelphia by the Chiefs of the Five Nations, with Madame Montour as interpreter. It follows : "They desire that there may be no settlements made up Susquehannah higher than Pextan (now Harrisburg), and that none of the settlers there- abouts be suffered to sell or keep any rum there, for that being the road by which their people go out to war, they are apprehensive of mischief if they meet with liquor in these parts. They desire also, for the same rea- sons, that none of the traders be allowed to carry any rum to the remoter parts where James Letort trades, that is Allegheny, on the branch of the Ohio. And this they desire may be taken notice of, as the minds of the chiefs of all the Five Nations, for it is all those nations that now speak by them to all our people." After considering the matter over night the governor, on the following day, replied, through the same interpreter : i37 138 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA "We have not hitherto allowed any settlement to be made above Pextan, but, as the young people grow up, they will spread, of course, yet it will not be very speedily. The governor, however, will give orders to them all to be civil to those of the Five Nations, as they pass that way, though it would be better if they would pass Susquehannah above the mountains. The sale of rum shall be prohibited both there and at Allegheny; but the woods are so thick and dark we cannot see what is done in them. The Indians may stave any rum they find in the woods, but, as has been said, they must not drink or carry any away." These old documents are the basis for the inference that pio- neers were even then presuming to settle above the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain; at least, the Indians were apprehensive and were early going on record as opposed to any such aggression. More than one of these traders had ulterior motives. The French and the English were contending for the lands of the great West, and to the Quaker — who largely ruled the province — it be- came almost a necessity, owing to religious convictions and per- sonal interests, that traders' licenses be given only to English set- tlers and traders and to those of the Protestant faith, barring the French Papists and with them communication to the French on the Ohio. The traders carried their goods on packhorses and the Indians were an easy prey to their cupidity and avarice. In fact, many of the early troubles of the province were reaped by reason of seed sown by unprincipled and inconsiderate traders. Among promi- nent early traders were George Croghan, Thomas McKee, Jack Armstrong, Francis Ellis, and William Baskins. Of Three Provincials. So closely were three early interpreters associated — one the first authorized settler of the territory which now embraces Perry County — with the provincial life of the district that it is deemed expedient to briefly give a few facts about them and their actions during that important epoch of Pennsylvania life, when "the bor- der" was the term used in referring to the lands along the Kitta- tinny or Blue Mountains.. The names of Conrad Weiser, George Croghan, and Andrew Montour are inseparably associated with the pioneer life of the section, as well as of the province in general. Conrad Weiser, the Diplomatic Interpreter. Conrad Weiser, of all the Indian interpreters who were inter- ested in this territory, was the most prominent. In fact, he was the most prominent in the provincial annals of Pennsylvania. That he crossed and recrossed the county's territory via the old Indian trail past Gibson's Rock there is evidence. He kept a diary, and in August, 1754, he stopped at Andrew Montour's, the fol- lowing entry being dated September 1 of that year: COMING OF THE TRADER 139 "Crossed the Kittatinny Mountains at George Croghan's (now Ster- rett's) Gap and Sherman's Creek, and arrived that day at Andrew Mon- tour's, accompanied (from Harris' Ferry) by himself, the half-king, an- other Indian and my son. I found at Andrew Montour's about fifteen In- dians, men, women and children, and more had been there, but had gone. "Andrew's wife had killed a sheep for these some days ago. She com- plained that the Indians had done great damage to the Indian corn, which was now ready to roast." Weiser had much to do with the Indian affairs which attended the early settlement of Perry County soil. Three different pro- vincial governors had entrusted him with manifold Indian affairs where diplomacy was required and Weiser, the peacemaker, had succeeded. What William Penn preached about treating the In- dians squarely Conrad Weiser practiced. Had he not induced the Five Nations to remain neutral, and had they cast their lot with the French the chances are that to-day we would be a French de- pendency, as the occasion for the Revolution might not have arisen, and we would have likely remained a more or less weak French dependency instead of a virile English-speaking nation which soon became independent. When George Washington came to Berks County in 1760 to attend the funeral of Conrad W r eiser, the future father of his country stood at the open grave and made the re- mark, "Here lies a man whom posterity will never forget." Weiser was a farmer, an interpreter, a trader and a merchant, having a store in Reading. As he was so great a factor in the In- dian negotiations relating to the Perry County territory it is deemed .expedient to give this concise account in this book. He was born in Germany in 1696, and came to America with his parents during the reign of Queen Anne, when fourteen years of age. His father was a blacksmith and lived on the Mohawk River, near a settlement of the Mohawk Indians. Conrad was sent by his father to reside with an Indian named Tajuajanont, that he might learn the Indian tongue. He became popular with the Indians and obtained great influence over them even as a boy. When twenty- six he was adopted by the family of the Turtles, a distinctive caste. In 1729 he came to Pennsylvania, and for the remaining thirty years of his life he was connected with the provincial government of Pennsylvania as an interpreter. He made his home — but he was seldom there — at Heidelberg, in Lancaster (now Berks ) County. His duties kept him continually going to the most distant localities, and sometimes farther than the boundaries of the prov- ince, to attend conferences with the Indians, principally the Six Nations. As a man of honor and trust he had the implicit confi- dence of both the settlers and the Indians. He was withal, adroit, skillful and diplomatic. In March, 1748, instructions were given to Weiser for a pro- jected trip to the Ohio, the object being to cement further the good- 140 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA will of the Indians for the English. As he was ready for depar- ture the Provincial Council sent for him and delayed the trip. George Croghan was ready with twenty pack horses laden with goods for the Indians and, on learning of Weiser's detention, went alone, but returned in time to accompany him later in the summer on his mission. It was August 1 1 before Weiser finally got started from Heidelberg, and he undertook the trip with misgivings, as he considered it a perilous journey, and only the necessity caused him to go at all. On this trip he passed over the famous "Allegheny i*/ Photo by Win. A. liberty. A WINTER SCENE AT SHERMAN'S CREEK AND GIBSON'S ROCK. This road is on the old "Allegheny Path" of Indian Days. The part shown is within a quarter-mile of the historic Gibson Mill, where Chief Justice John Bannister Gibson was born. Path," that old Indian trail which crossed Perry County territory to the great West. In a letter to Richard Peters, secretary of the province, dated "Tuscarora Path, August 15, 1748," he says, among other things: "I may be obliged to pay the debt of human nature before I get home," which shows that his duties must have been of a telling nature, as he was then but fifty-two years of age. However, he escaped such misfortune and lived over a decade, dying in 1760. While traders crossed this "path" before, yet Con- rad Weiser is the first white man to visit Perry County soil who has left a record of it. For his first employment as an interpreter, in 1731, he was al- loted forty shillings as payment. When Reading, Pennsylvania, was laid out, in 1748, Conrad Weiser was appointed one of the COMING OF THE TRADER 141 commissioners for that purpose, and built a house and store there which stood until recent years. One of the men who accompanied Weiser on one of these trips through Perry County territory is named as William Franklin, a son of Benjamin Franklin, and who later became governor of New Jersey. George Croghan, Trader and Interpreter. Of the men who had much to do with Indian affairs in what is now Perry County, next in importance to Conrad Weiser stood George Croghan, the trader and interpreter. He was an Irishman by birth and came to this country in 1742, stopping at the Harris Ferry (now Harrisburg) for a while. Soon after becoming an Indian trader he located in Cumberland County, near what is now Hogestown, and about eight miles from Harris' Ferry. He first traded in a rather restricted district, the limits of which were to Aughwick (near Mt. Union) and Path Valley, later going as far as the Ohio River. As early as June, 1747, he is mentioned "as a considerable trader." His long residence among Indians enabled him to become thoroughly familiar with both the life and the habits of the Delaware and Shawanese tribes. For that reason he became invaluable to the province. Later on he is supposed to have lived at Sterrett's Gap for a time, as the gap was long known as Cro- ghan's. Afterwards he removed to Aughwick. His first letter while in the employ of the province is dated "May 26th, 1747," and is addressed to Richard Peters, secretary of the province. With it he enclosed a letter from the Six Nations, some wampum and a French scalp taken along Lake Erie. Governor Hamilton, in a letter to Governor Hardy, dated July 5, 1756, in speaking of Croghan, who was at one time suspected of being a spy in the pay of the French, says: "There are many Indian traders with Braddock— Croghan among others, who acted as a captain of the Indians under a warrant from General Braddock, and I never heard of any objections to his conduct in that capacity. For many years he had been very largely concerned in the Ohio trade, was upon that river frequently, and had a considerable influence among the Indians, speaking the language of several nations, and being very liberal, or rather, profuse, in his gifts to them, which, with the losses he sustained by the French, who seized great quantities of his goods, and by not getting the debts due him from the Indians, he became bankrupt, and since has lived at a place called Aughwick, in the back parts of the province, where he generally had a number of the Indians with him, for the maintenance of whom the province allowed him sums of money from time to time, but not to his satisfaction. After this he went, by my order, with these Indians, and joined General Braddock, who gave the warrant I have mentioned. "Since Braddock's defeat, he returned to Aughwick, where he remained till an act of assembly was passed here granting him a freedom of arrest for ten years. This was done that the province might have the benefit of his knowledge of the woods and his influence among the Indians; and 142 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA immediately thereupon, while I was last at York, a captain's commission was given to him, and he was ordered to raise men for the defense of the western frontier, which he did in a very expeditious manner, but not so frugally as the commissioners for disposing of the public money thought he might have done. He continued in the command of one of the com- panies he had raised, and of Fort Shirley, on the western frontier, about three months ; during which time he sent by my direction Indian messen- gers to the Ohio for intelligence, but never produced me any that was very material; and having a dispute with the commissioners about some ac- counts between them, in which he thought himself ill-used, he resigned his commission, and about a month ago informed me that he had not re- ceived pay upon General Braddock's warrant, and desired my recommen- dation to General Shirley, which I gave him, and he set off directly for Albany; and I hear he is now at Onondago with Sir William Johnston." On his return from the Johnston conference he bore a commis- sion as a deputy agent of Indian affairs. Croghan had settled permanently at Aughwick in 1754 and had built the fort and stockade there. He was appointed by the prov- ince, in 1755, to locate three forts in what was then Cumberland County — one at Patterson's, on the Juniata; one at or near Lewis- town, to be known as Fort Granville, and one at Sideling Hill, now Bedford County. He recruited men and garrisoned them very quickly. In December of 1754 he had written Secretary Peters, asking that no one sell liquor to the Indians on account of the bad consequences, but admitting that he gave them a keg once a month for a frolic. As an official he was noted for promptness. After the evacuation of Fort Pitt we find Croghan there for a while. On a trip down the Ohio the French captured him and took him to Detroit. When liberated he returned to New York. He died in 1782. In March, 1749, he was appointed a justice of the peace of Lancaster County, to which the soil of Cumberland yel belonged. In 1748 there is record of him having a trading house on the Ohio. Croghan and Andrew Montour were largely associated in business. France claimed the vast country west of the Alleghenies, watered by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and was attempting to estab- lish her claim by locating military posts from the great lakes to the Mississippi and along the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers. The Indian tribes were numerous and war-like. Croghan saw the im- portance of detaching them from the French by means of presents and the most favorable trading terms. His suggestions were wisely heeded by the Provincial Council. He had a thorough knowledge of all the Indian trails and the territory of the tribes between the Susquehanna and the Ohio. At Carlisle, on April 4, 1756, he filed an account of his "losses occasioned by the French and Indians driving the English traders off the Ohio." While two of the items of probable great value have no actual valuation named, those which do total 881 pounds. COMING OF THE TRADER 143 ( )n I une 27, 1767, Croghan and two kinsmen petitioned the New York Council, on behalf of themselves and others, to purchase 40,000 acres of land between Otsego Lake and "Caniadcuagy" Lake, and between the head branches of the Susquehanna. On November 25, 1767, a return was made of a survey for him and his associates for 100,000 acres. In fact, the journals of George Croghan are an epitome of the Indian history of the period. In 1750, according to it, he was on the Ohio, enroute to the Shawnee towns ; the next season he out- witted Joincaire on the Allegheny. In 1754 he was on the Ohio, after Washington had passed, and in 1760-61 he was on a trip to Detroit, via Lake Erie, in the company of Roger's Rangers. In 1765 he toured down the Ohio towards Illinois and was captured by Ouiatanon, later making peace with Pontiac and returning. Next to Sir William Johnson, George Croghan was the most prominent figure among the British Indian agents during the pe- riod of the later French wars and Pontiac's conspiracy. A pio- neer trader, traveler and government agent, no other man of his time knew as much of the coming great West and the counter cur- rents, intrigues, etc., connected therewith. It was as deputy of Sir William Johnson that he conducted the difficult negotiations at Fort Pitt and Detroit in 1758-61 and those in Illinois in 1765, by which Pontiac was brought to terms. His winning adherents for the English among the wavering allies of the French, beyond the bounds of the province, at Sandusky and Lake Erie, was but one of his diplomatic feats. He first won the attention of Conrad Weiser, who recommended him to the provincial authorities, where his first service began in 1747, continuing through the active years of his life. At the beginning of the Revolution he appeared as a patriot, but later became the object of suspicion, and in 1778 he was proclaimed officially by the colony as a public enemy. Andrew Montour, First Authorized Settler. Andrew Montour was the first authorized settler of the lands which now comprise Perry County. He was a half-breed, the old- est son of Madame Montour, and the brother of the celebrated Catharine Montour. There was a conference held at George Cro- ghan's (Sterrett's Gap) in May, 1750. and among those present were Richard Peters, secretary of the province ; Conrad Weiser, James Galbreath, George Stevenson, William Wilson, Hermanns Alricks, George Croghan, Andrew Montour, three Indian delegates from the Five Nations, and one from the Mohawks, when the ef- fort was made to drive from the lands north of the Kittatinny Mountain those who had settled there, the territory not having as yet been purchased from the Indians. 144 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA They were driven from the lands on which they had settled, and on April 18, 1752, Andrew Montour was commissioned by the governor to settle and reside upon these Indian lands, the Indians on July 2, 1750, having petitioned for such occupation, and ar- rangements having been made with them for such occupation, at a place considered most central, to see that the lands were not set- tled upon and to warn off any who had presumed to settle there. He was also to report the names of any who did settle there that they might be prosecuted. He chose to settle on a stream which to this day bears his name, Montour's run, flowing through Tyrone Township. Just how honest Montour was in fulfilling this respon- sible position is a matter of conjecture, but there is evidence that the Indians were still protesting a year later at a Carlisle council about encroachments. In fact, Montour was not only suspected by the provincial authorities of neglecting his duty here, but he- was on more than one occasion suspected of double dealing with the Indians of the West and the province. He was present at the conference at George Croghan's probably in the capacity of an interpreter for Tohonady Huntho, the repre- sentatives of the Mohawks from Ohio, for he was an expert in- terpreter, speaking the language of the various Ohio tribes as well as the Iroquois. His name will be found in our Indian chapters. He was an interpreter and later a trader. Hanna, in The Wilder- ness Trail, says: "Madame Montour and her son, Andrew Mon- tour, were the most picturesque characters in the colonial history of Pennsylvania." There is evidence that William Patterson, John and Joseph Scott, James Kennedy, Alexander Roddy, Thomas Wilson and < 'hers bad located in Sherman's Valley during 1753, not a great distance from the Montour place, but whether he notified the au- thorities is not known, but it is a fact that be brought in his brother-in-law, William Dason, and allowed him to locate a claim, according to an affidavit of William Patterson some years there- after. His mother, the famous Madame Montour, was not a daughter of a governor of Canada, as sometimes stated. Her father, Pierre Couc, a Frenchman, emigrated to Canada. By an Indian wife lie had a number of children, some of whom took the name of Montour. In 1694 bis son, Lewis Couc. or Montour, was se- verely wounded by the Mohawks, near Fort Lamotte, on Lake Champlain. Madame Montour (a daughter of Lewis), then a ten-year-old girl, is supposed to have been captured at this time by the Five Nations and adopted. Her first appearance in history is at an Albany conference, August 24, 171 1, where she acted as interpreter. She seems to have been educated. She married Carondowana, or the "Big Tree," who had adopted the name of COMING OF THE TRADER [45 Robert Hunter, governor of New York. He was of the Oneida tribe, a great captain of the Five Nations, and fell at the hands of the Catawbas in 1729. When a treaty was made in Philadelphia in 1734 the proprietess of the province publicly condoled with the widow — a rather belated function, as viewed in our day. She was handsome and spoke French, being the object of some social activity while in Philadelphia. Her duplicity later became apparent to the provincial authorities. The settlement of Andrew Montour on Montour's run was never surveyed to him, although he took out a warrant for 143 acres adjoining the site of Landisburg. By a warrant dated July 11, 1761, he was granted 1,500 acres of land on the Juniata River in what is now Mifflin County. He took it in two separate tracts, the aggregate of which was over 2,500 acres. His Indian name was Sattelihu. In 1753 the French had set a price of £100 on his head. In the French and Indian War he was a captain of a com- pany of Indians on the English side. He accompanied Conrad Weiser on his mission to the settlements of the Six Nations. He was for almost forty years in the service of Pennsylvania, Vir- ginia, and under Sir William Johnson. He often accompanied the Moravian missionaries, Count Zinzendorf and Bishop Spangen- burg, to the Indian towns. To Count Zinzendorf posterity is in- debted for a pen picture of Andrew Montour. His description : "His face is like that of a European, but marked with a broad Indian ring of bear's grease and paint drawn completely around it. He wears a coat of fine cloth of cinnamon color, a black necktie with silver spangles, a red satin vest, pantaloons, over which hangs his shirt ; shoes and stockings, a hat and brass ornaments, some- thing like the handle of a basket, suspended from his ears." He died prior to 1775. Andrew Montour's first wife was a daughter of Allumoppies, King of the Delawares. The Province of Pennsylvania educated his children in Philadelphia as proteges of Governor Robert 1 funter Morris. These were the first children to be sent away to school from the soil which now comprises Perry County. Even in that day the call for an education was in the atmosphere of these lands. He is first mentioned by Conrad Weiser in 1744 when he inter- preted his Iroquois into Delaware. He assisted in nearly all the important Indian negotiations from that time until the treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, being employed in turn by the Pennsyl- vania, Virginia, and New York governments and the Ohio Com- pany. In 1754 he was with George Washington at the surrender of Fort Necessity. Several times he warned the settlers of im- pending raids, among other services bringing word of the Pontiac outbreak. He accompanied Major Rogers as captain of Indian 10 146 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA forces, when the latter went, to take possession of Detroit, and in 1764 commanded a party against the recalcitrant Delawares. He received for his services several grants of land in western Penn- sylvania, as well as money. In the autumn of 1750 Conrad Weiser reported to the governor of the province that the French agent Joincaire was on his way to the Ohio with a present of goods and orders from the governor of Canada to drive out all English traders. Governor Hamilton detailed George Croghan and Andrew Montour to hasten thither and by use of a small present and promise of more to try and counteract the intrigues of the French and retain the Indians in the English interest. At a meeting of the commissioners of the province at Carlisle, October 1, 1753, Montour was associated with such illustrious lights as Richard Peters, Isaac Norris, and Benjamin Franklin. Conrad Weiser said of Montour "that he was faithful, knowing and prudent." He operated among the more western Indians and was rewarded financially for keeping track of their movements. While Andrew Montour was sometimes under suspicion of double dealing he always maintained his position with the provin- cial government in one capacity or another. In proof of his con- nection at the time of the French and Indian troubles, also of his actual residence in what is now Perry County before the Albany treaty of July 6, 1754, as the authorized representative of the provincial authorities, the following letter is here reproduced : Sherman's Creek, 16th May, 1754. Sir: T once more take upon me the liberty of informing you that our Indians at Ohio are expecting every day the armed forces of this province against the French, who, by their late encroachments, is likely to prevent their planting, and thereby render them impossible of supporting their families. And you may depend upon it as a certainty, that our Indians will not strike the French, unless this province (or New York) engage with them ; and that by sending some number of men to their immediate assistance. The reasons are plain ; to wit : that they don't look upon their late friendship with Virginia, sufficient to engage them with a war with the French ; I therefor think, with submission, that to preserve out- Indian allies tbis province ought instantly to send out some men, either less or more, which I have good reason to hope, would have the desired effect; otherwise, I doubt there will, in a little time, be an entire separa- tion; the consequences of which you are best able to judge, &c. I am in- formed by my brother, who has lately come from the Lakes, that there is at that place a great number of French Indians, preparing to come down to the assistance of the French, at Ohio. I am likewise informed, by a young Indian man (who, by my brother's directions, spent some days with the French at Monongahela), that they expect a great number of French down the river very soon. I have delayed my journey to Ohio and waited with great impatience for advice from Philadelphia, but have not yet re- ceived any. I am now obliged to go to Colonel Washington, who has sent for me many days ago, to go with him to meet the half-king, Monacatootha, and others, that are coming to meet the Virginia companies ; and, as they COMING OF THE TRADER 147 think, sonic from Pennsylvania — and would have been glad to have known the design of this province, in these matters, before 1 had gone. I am, sir, your very humble servant, Andrew Montour. To Gov. H. R. Morris. He had correspondence with the governor and council, and this letter to the governor was copied from Montour's autograph letter on file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. As early as 1744 we find that "Andrew Montour, Madame Mon- tour's son, interpreted an Indian message from the Mohawk lan- guage to that of the Delawares." During the same year he was also the interpreter in the Jack Armstrong murder case, which ap- pears earlier in this book. In that year we also find him as captain of a party of Iroquois warriors, marching against the Catawbas, of Carolina. lie fell sick and was obliged to return to Shamokin. In May, 1745, he accompanied Weiser and Shikellamy to Onon- daga with a message and instructions from the governor of the province. In June, 1748, he was introduced by Weiser to the president of the council of the province, at Philadelphia, and rec- ommended as "faithful and prudent." During 1754 George Wash- ington sent for Montour to meet him at Ohio, and he (Montour) wrote to Secretary Peters, of the province, from his residence on Sherman's Creek, the above letter, urging the immediate necessity of sending men and arms to resist the impending French invasion. Montour and George Croghan proceeded to Monongahela and there, on June 9, found Washington. He commanded a mixed company of whites and Indians under Washington. At a conference, October 24, 1759, at Pittsburgh, Montour and George Croghan met General Stanwix, and Montour lit the "pipe of peace." In 1761, May 22, at a conference at the State House in Philadelphia, Montour was the official interpreter. In 1768, at a conference at Fort Pitt, between George Croghan, deputy agent Indian affairs, and the Six Nations, Delawares and Shawnees, Montour was the interpreter. He filled the same position October 24, 1768, at a great congress with the Indians at Fort Stanwix. During 1769, on November 3, at the junction of Loyalsock Creek and the West Branch, a tract of land was surveyed to An- drew Montour. It contained 880 acres and was called Montour's Reserve. CHAPTER VIII. COMING" OF THE PIONEERS. THE frontier of the early Eighteenth Century was still east of the Susquehanna. Beyond lay the forests, the hills, the rivers and bands of Indians sometimes hostile when they emerged. By the middle of the century adventurers — mostly Scotch-Irish — had carried settlement across that river and were clamoring for the right to cross the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain to settle. When that section was thrown open they not only quickly settled it, but passed on, and crossed the Alleghenies to the Ohio. While that was happening in Pennsylvania the New Englanders made their way to the Mohawk Valley of New York, then on to the Seneca territory and along the shores of the Great Lakes, and to the south through the Cumberland pass and over the hills of the Carolinas was trickling civilization from the southern seaboard to Kentucky and Tennessee. *The date of the opening of the laud office for the settlement of the lands which comprise Perry County was February 3, 1755, early in the very year of Braddock's defeat, and almost coincident with the time when that noted general was moving towards Brad- dock's Field — as it later came to be known — where the British, because of their pride and contempt for the advice of experienced officers, paid for the Indian dissatisfaction of the previous year at Albany, in connection with the purchase of these very lands. Has it ever occurred to the reader how closely the Perry County lands are related to the historic Braddock defeat? Settlers had come in in large numbers during 1755; but owing to the defeat of Braddock and the attending defection of the sav- ages, which created a reign of terror and bloodshed throughout the province, few claims were located and settled upon between that year and 1761. While there was still much land open to settle- ment south of the Blue or Kittatinny Mountain there was a scar- city of water as compared to the north side. These earliest set- *Legendary and traditional information, unless backed up by supporting facts, is not to be relied upon. Various persons have furnished statements that their ancestors were settlers of the Sherman's Valley and other parts of Perry County as early as 1741, 1743, and various other dates. Careful investigation has been made in provincial records, and nowhere can there be found any permanent settlements prior to the late summer of 1753, save those who came in as squatters and intruders and were dispossessed, men- tion of which appears in the chapters relating to the Indians, elsewhere in this book. 148 COMING OF THE PIONEERS 149 tiers were mostly Scotch- Irish, and it is a remarkable fact that they invariably sought lands near the headwaters of streams, a characteristic likely instilled deep in the race. If they could but get their habitations near springs or running water they regarded it of more advantage than having them on more fertile soil where the matter of water was a question. And it must be remembered that in Perry County these springs and streams come welling to the surface of the earth, pure, and clear, and cold, from vast sub- terranean caverns in the heart of the hills. Prof. Wright, in his history, states that there is not a single farm in Perry County of one hundred acres or more which does not have running water upon it. With these early Scotch-Irish came a few English, many Ger- mans coming in later. The provincial government at first made an effort to place the different nationalities in different sections, hut soon found it difficult of accomplishment and a failure when done. The Scotch-Irish, as spoken of in America, are not Irish at all, but Scotch and English, who fled religious persecution at home at the hands of Charles I ( 1714-1720) and found refuge in Ireland, and their descendants. The term is of American origin and use and is identical with the English term, Ulstermen. It de- notes no mixture of blood of the two races, as they did not inter- marry. They entered Ireland and took up the estates of Irish rebels, confiscated under Queen Elizabeth and James I. James I, by the way, was king of Scotland, and as James VI encour- aged his Presbyterian subjects to do this. Many of them had mi- grated early in the Seventeenth Century, about seventy-five years before the founding of Pennsylvania. Towards the middle of the same century Cromwell confiscated Irish lands and emigration increased further, many English being among them. The Scotch were principally Saxon in blood and Presbyterian in religion, de- vout Christians, while the native Irish are Celtic in blood and Ro- man Catholic in religion. The races are distinct in Ireland to this day, which accounts largely for the eternal Irish question, which at" this very time (1920) has the British Kingdom at wit's end. The settlement of Irish and Germans north of the Kittatinny was often the cause of neighborhood and family feuds, which ex- isted even after the organization of the county, as there is record of such a fight in the spring of 1823, when one of the participants, fearing that he "had killed the dutchman," fled to Indiana, where he became an honored citizen. In his Making of Pennsylvania, Sydney George Fisher says : "The thought and enterprise of New England has been built up entirely by Congregationalists ; well on to one-half of the social fabric of Pennsylvania has been built up by Presbyterians, and there is scarcely a state in the Union where the influence of Cal- 150 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA vinism had not been powerfully felt." In the original settlement of Perry County territory this Scotch-Irish element was a large factor and their descendants are among the foremost in its affairs and among those sent out to wider fields, one of whom, when this is written, occupies the Vice-Presidential chair of the United States. See biography of Thomas R. Marshall further on in this volume. The struggle for the possession of the new world was at first confined to six nationalities: the Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Swedes, and Portuguese. The Germans, distracted by their own political divisions, seemed to have no desire to colonize. They finally appeared in Pennsylvania half a century after most of the English colonies had been established, but they came as immigrants under the protection of the Bnijlisli nation, at first encouraged by the Quakers, and later by the British Government, says Fisher. They came principally from the Palatinate ; from Alsace, Swabia, Saxony, and Switzerland. They had been held in more or less subjection at home, and many of the earlier immigrants were a very crude people. Pastorius tells of the Indians even considering them so. He relates : "An Indian promised to sell one a turkey ben. Instead he brought an eagle and insisted it was a turkey. It was refused, and the Indian to a Swede, a bystander, remarked that he thought a German, just arrived, would not know the dif- ference." Later they came in larger numbers and of a more in- telligent class. The German element, often referred to in our state, as the Pennsylvania Dutch, lias been variously estimated as composing from one-third to one-half of the population of Penn- sylvania, and has had a great influence in the development of the state and of Perry County, where their descendants are a thrifty and enterprising element. In the blood of thousands of Perry Countians and their descendants who have gone abroad is a strain of German steadfastness and perseverance which has sent men to the gubernatorial chair of not only our own state, but of others, and to the highest legislative body in the world. See biographies of noted men. In some counties the German element has lived unto itself, using the German language, with little or no inter- marriage with other elements, thus causing practically no advance- ment. This was not so in Perry County. The children attended the public schools and soon learned to use English, the parents learning it in turn, and to-day of this original German stock not one family uses the German language in the home. However, about 1890 a German colony located in Watts Township, built a small church, and a few of the parents of these families may still use it, while the children speak English. The Germans were mostly of the Lutheran and Reformed faith. These older settlers COMING OF THE PIONEERS 151 and their descendants have had considerable contempt for a few of the newer who continually talked of "The Fatherland." Thomas Kilby Smith, in his "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," says of the type of Germans which settled Perry County: "The members of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches, who represent the second phase of German emigration to Pennsylvania, were of a higher type than their predecessors, most of them belonging to the middle classes and not to the peasantry, as were the great majority of the sects who pre- ceded them. Like the Scotch-Irish and the Welsh, they have mingled with the community in general and have been absorbed into the population of the state, abandoning any peculiarities of language or custom that they may have had at the time of their arrival. They have engaged in various occupations, with a tendency, however, to remain in the towns rather than in the country districts. Being less numerous than the Pennsylvania Dutch and more rapidly assimilated, they have made less impression, as a sepa- rate people, on the civilization of the state than the Germans who pre- ceded them. Generally speaking, they have been prosperous, have adhered closely to their respective churches, relinquished their native tongue, and pursued industriously their various occupations. With a few exceptions, they have not taken a prominent part in politics or public affairs, except in lines of philanthropy, education and music." In the matter of noted men from the county the two races, now much intermarried, vie with each other as to the number which the county has sent forth. Speaking of the German element, Prof. Wright, in his history (1873), says: "Pfoutz's Valley is still characteristically a Ger- man settlement, though there are many persons unable to con- verse in any hut the English language. For our fertile soil the German is slowly exchanging his language ; his children receive an English education in the free schools, without dissent. In fact, many of our best scholars were the children of German parents." He adds, "Although the soil of Perry County was first settled by English-speaking people, the farming population is now largely composed of German origin." Prof. W. C. Shuman, -formerly of Perry County, in his "Gene- alogy of the Shuman Family," says of the Germans: "The Ger- mans have profoundly influenced the history of Pennsylvania for about 200 years. They have been slow, self -centered and non- progressive ; but they have also been honest, industrious and thrifty; and in the main, they have been on the right side of all great issues." The Indian troubles of 1763 again retarded settlement, but the victory of the noted Colonel Henry Bouquet in Ohio, in 1764, caused the Indians to pretty generally desert the central Pennsyl- vania territory, and a tide of immigration from the eastern section of the province began, and, owing to imperfect titles to their lands in Chester County, later brought to the territory such men as John Hench, Jacob Hippie, Jacob Hart man, Frederick Shull and 152 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY,- PENNSYLVANIA Zachariah Rice, whose descendants are legion, and hundreds of others. By 1767 many of the best plots were taken, and by 1778 the greater part of the lands. The selling of emigrants into servitude for the payment of their passage across the ocean was practiced. George Leonard, an early settler of the lands which comprise Perry County, was sold in that manner when but six years old, his father having died while aboard .and his body cast into the sea, according to the custom. The western part of Perry County, generally speaking, im- presses one with the fact that it was settled before the eastern sec- tion, or the part lying between the rivers, and records verify it. All through western Sherman's Valley are to be found stone houses more than a century old, built by artisans whose work has stood the test, whose wage was likely a very meagre one and whose hours possibly were numbered only by the number of hours of daylight. Their work will ever stand a monument to early craftsmanship. At only one other part of the county are there many of these old landmarks, and that is Millerstown. (See chapter on Millerstown.) The one on the Solomon Bower farm, in Jackson Township, now owned by Assemblyman Clark Bower, was built in 1794, when George Washington was President. An end was built to it in 1834 and a second story added in 1870. The large stone house on the C. A. Anderson farm, at Andersonburg, is another fine example. It was built in 1820. The adjoining barn was erected in 1821. It is difficult for the present generation, with its modern homes, many lighted by electricity and gas ; with water piped through- out and a multitude of accessories to make life easy and comfort- able ; with its modern method of travel in parlor cars at fifty miles an hour; with automobiles equipped and finished finer than the grandest carriage, and traveling thirty miles an hour (accord- ing to law) ; with stores and shops existing at which anything may be purchased ; with telephones in one's home whereby he may talk to another state in a few minutes, and hundreds of other con- veniences unnamed and unenumerated, to realize the extreme needs and crude methods and equipment of these pioneers of civilization, who braved the rigors of the early winters and the dangers of the redskins to build in the wilderness a home and to wrest from the savage a state. When the pioneer wended his way over the Kittatinny or Blue Mountain the country was a vast forest, whose creeks and rivers were destitute of bridges and could only be crossed with safety at given points, and not at all when the waters were high. There were no roads, but only the trails and paths used by the red men and the traders. There were no houses, no cleared lands, no schools, nothing but the eternal stillness which one yet experiences when traveling afoot in the fastnesses of the mountain. Upon COMING OF THE PIONEERS 153 entering the forest their very first act was to cut the timber and hew boards with an axe for the erection of their homes, for at first there were even no sawmills. Instead of their floors being sawed and planed, as are ours, they were split and hewed. Indeed, there were some that had no floors save the earth upon which they were built, even the old church at Dick's (jap being floorless. While the little log house was yet in course of erection the trees were being felled on "the clearing," which was to be the first field of the new home, and by the time of its finishing a "patch" was ready for planting or sowing. Then, while it was growing, there were other lands to clear, a barn and other buildings to be built ; and eternal vigilance was necessary to prevent the coming of the savage with his tomahawk, in search of scalps. There was no machinery and the crudest methods of slow and tedious operation were necessary to the raising and threshing of crops. In fact, the threshing of a crop, which is now done in a day or two on the great majority of farms, then required months, as the tramping out of grain on the barn floors, with horses, and the use of the "flail" were the only available methods of extracting the grain. The furnishings of the pioneers were as crude as the cabins themselves, the tables and benches being of wood, split and hewed, until the advent of the "up-and-down" sawmill. Dishes, plates and spoons were of pewter, bowls were fashioned from wood, and squashes and gourds supplied receptacles for water. The clothing was of homespun and homemade, the women and girls being busy with spinning wheel and needle during the long winters. The men dressed in hunting shirts and moccasins, later in knee pants with buckles. When the first schools were established the clearing of lands and threshing during the long winters, and the spinning and sewing to make the family clothing, kept many from school, even the few months when schools were in session. Tallow candles were used as lights, and there are many men and women yet living who can well remember when their people used tallow candles as their only lights, save perchance a rare oil lamp "when company came." Gradually roads w T ere built and travel was either afoot, on horse- back or by wagon, all of which was slow and required much time. Settlements were widely separated and the nearest town was in the Cumberland Valley, then known as the "Kittochtinny Valley." Large families were the rule and it was no uncommon thing for a family to have over a dozen children, five or six children being considered a small family. Many of the most prominent families of the district were large. To-day the reverse is the case and hun- dreds of families in the same territory number from one to three children, the family of a half-dozen being considered large. Mr. William Morrison, of New Germantown, a man of mature years. 154 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA to whom we are indebted for much information, was the father of fifteen, twelve sons in succession, then a daughter, a son and a daughter. There were many families of this size and larger. The method of heating the first rude homes was the open fire- place fashioned from huge stones. There were no matches, fire being produced by the use of flint. On many occasions neighbors borrowed fire from each other, if located in close proximity. Peo- ple yet live who remember this. Over these rude fireplaces swung a kettle in which the family meal was boiled. Later air-tight stoves Ti % 3sL IjSHg --:_ i - * ^ y -WH A PIONEER BRIDE AND GROOM. (Copied from Miniature of 1802, when on their "honeymoon.") Joseph Martin (1 77 7-1831), born on the "Big Island" while his father, Capt. Joseph Martin was in the Army, his mother being Ann (Nancy) Baskins. The bride, Rachael Gillespie (1785-1851), who in later years married secondly Rev. Jacob Gruber, circuit rider, were introduced, which were also very imperfect at first. Maple sugar was extracted from trees during the early spring, and in very rare cases its manufacture continues in the county. Hand weaving was practiced by the housewife, and there exist to-day throughout the county many of the finest counterpanes, of exquisite design, heirlooms from a former generation. Hospitality, not only to one's kin, but to strangers, was practiced everywhere, and exists to a great extent to-day, save that a stranger must have credentials, as many of "the gentry" took advantage of COMING OF THE PIONEERS 155 those who took them in. In fact, hospitality in the early days was not confined to any one section, and it is said of our first Presi- dent, General Washington, that his family "did not sit alone to dinner for twenty years." In the provincial days the public stop- ping place was an "ordinary," later it became a "tavern," and still later a "hotel," which name it retains, with variations, such as "hostelry," "road house," "tea room," etc. Some folks attached considerable importance to certain days and certain signs, "planting in signs" being largely practiced. The modern way of planting in fertile ground, well prepared and duly cultivated, seems to be an improvement. These signs were re- garded as foretelling the state of the weather, of health, and whether seed should be planted. One certain day broke ice if it found it, and formed it if there was none (rather a contrary sort of day and emblematic of a certain type of people) ; other days were "bad days" or "good days" for planting or sowing seeds, others for building fences and roofing buildings, and still others for slaughtering stock and weaning stock and even babies. It is not strange that many of these old notions prevailed, for they were bequeathed from sire to son and from mother to daughter for centuries ; they came with the Pilgrim and the Cavalier from across the sea and formed a sort of tradition among all classes. The belief in witchcraft and sorcery is practically gone, yet once in too was a part of the belief of many in widely scattered sections of the Union. Even in our own day certain customs known to our earlier years have since been replaced and proven fallacious, and things now generally acceptable will, in the coming years, seem as strange to the populace as does witchcraft to us now. For many decades Bear's Almanac, a Lancaster publication, was a part of the literature of every farm home, and largely con- tinues so. In the early days the currency was "eleven penny bits," "fi' penny bits," "levies" and shillings, eight shillings making one dol- lar. The big cents of copper appeared in 1792 and bore on their face the head of Washington, and on the reverse side a chain of thirteen links, emblematic of the thirteen original states. Wild animals roamed at will and some were beasts of prey, among them being bears, panthers, wolves, wild cats, etc. Bears were seen in Horse Valley as late as 1885. Wolves were bad and even the graves had to be covered with stones in early times to insure their safety from these animals. "The Narrows," below Mt. Patrick, was once a dangerous place owing to its being the habitation of wolves. Near Crawley Hill, in Spring Township, there is a small area of rocks, probably fifteen feet high, known to this day as "the wolf rocks," and which tradition says was so named by reason of it having been a rendezvous for wolves when 156 HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA they still inhabited the forests. It is yet a den for foxes. The Fishing Creek Valley (Rye Township) was a place noted for wolves even to the present generation, and there are men of fifty years who can remember them. On January 21, 1829, George Ilollenbangh, of Toboyne Township, was hunting, and entered a cavern in the mountains, but quickly retraced his steps, a bear fol- lowing him out. He shot it, and another appeared. It too was despatched. He then went for help to carry away the animals, when a third appeared and was shot, according to the Perry For- ester, Perry County' first paper. There is record of a Mr. Magee, who was grandfather of Alex- ander Magee, sheriff of Perry County in 1841-43, going to the door of his home, in Toboyne Township, one night when he heard a scream. He stepped out, axe in hand, and killed a panther, which was just ready to pounce upon him. Deer, rabbits and squirrel were common, and venison graced the table of the pioneer on many occasions. The meats of these animals were salted down for use during the long winters. Wild turkeys, pheasants and partridges roamed the forests, and during certain seasons wild pigeons collected in vast numbers. The streams, unpolluted and at first free of dams, were alive with fish, principally bass, pike and trout. After the severe winters shad, rockfish, salmon and perch ascended the streams, thus probably augmenting a supply of pro- visions which had become largely depleted. During the summer of 1919 the late George Bryner (born in 1X32) recalled how his Grandmother Hench, who resided near the McMillen farms, in the vicinity of Kistler, Madison Township, used to describe the howling of the wolves and tell of using powder, which they would ignite at night, to scare the animals from their cattle. It appears that wolves scent trouble with the smell of powder, as do many other wild animals. The Susquehanna and Juniata country was once the home of that great and picturesque bird, the American eagle, and to this day Bald eagles inhabit the shores, including Perry County terri- tory, but in very small numbers. Their passing is attributed to the propensity for killing by a certain class of hunters, who never should have been permitted to shoulder a gun. The Bald eagle was here when the pioneer came, and unmolested, continued until the last century was well passed, when they began to be viewed as thieves, with the result that only a few stragglers remain. In an interesting booklet, by that wonderful lover of outdoor life. Col. Henry W. Shoemaker, appears this paragraph relating to the method of their passing, which is of interest to this section : "Charles Lukens, of Duncan's Island, near the mouth of the Juniata River, states that a hunter, now residing at Halifax, killed a Bald eagle on Peters' Mountains in 1910. He made ready to take the carcass to Har- COMING OF THE PIONEERS 157 risburg to claim a bounty, but on learning tbat it was a protected bird abandoned the trip, and it is not known what became of the eagle. Charles Smith, an intelligent farmer residing on Haldeman's Island, states that it was formerly not an extraordinary occurrence to see Bald eagles soaring over the island and the river, but for several years he has not seen any. The Rev. B. H. Hart, of Williamsport, who owns an island not far from Liverpool, says Bald eagles were formerly seen in fair numbers along the river and at his i-sland, though he cannot recollect having seen any for several years." Slowly sailing across the heavens their eagle eyes would detect a fish in the water hundreds of yards away, and at one fell swoop would fasten it between their beaks, and carry it to their young in the crags of the mountain where they nested. Their nests were built of sticks and twigs and were huge affairs when compared with the nests of other birds. It is related that when a tree upon which a pair nested, in a neighboring county, was cut, a small wagonload of kindling was gathered from the nest. Naturalists tell that these birds would tear down and rebuild their nests en- tirely, every third or fourth year, and in the intervening years would only rebuild the top or finishing part. Passing of the; Buffalo. Many, many years ago this land was overrun by great herds of Buffalo, especially that portion of Pennsylvania which comprises the tablelands lying between the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers. Part of Perry County, of course, is included in this domain, and Buffalo Township, Perry County, was named to perpetuate the memory thereof. There is a chapter in this book relating to Buf- falo Township, which was, by the way, the author's birthplace. Its lands belonged to Greenwood Township, which was a part of Fermanagh Township — one of the original townships of Cumber- land County, when that county was formed. Buffalo Township became a separate unit in i/