Part 58
Captain John MacDonald, of the British Army, a Tory of New York State, was in command of a large detachment of British who had employed 300 Seneca Indians as allies. They made a forced march from the vicinity of Wyalusing, and arrived near Fort Muncy on the morning of July 28, 1779, and immediately started down, over what is now the Susquehanna Trail, toward Fort Augusta. The Continental troops had unfortunately been withdrawn from Fort Muncy.
Less than six miles march brought the British and their Indian allies in contact with the garrison at Fort Freeland, where, in addition to the troops, all the inhabitants of the valley below Muncy Hill and as far south as Chillisquaque Creek, had fled for protection.
When the battle for possession of the fort began, the firing could be heard at Fort Boone, about four miles south, a mile above the present site of Milton. Captain Hawkins Boone, cousin of Daniel Boone, and himself one of the bravest soldiers in the Continental army, with a detail, consisting of thirty-two as brave men as ever fired a gun, rushed to the relief of the unfortunate defenders of Fort Freeland.
But in a few terrible hours the most advanced haven of refuge for the frontier settlers in the West Branch Valley was a mass of ruins; its defenders either victims of the tomahawk or prisoners of war; and the women and children objects of charity.
The defenders of Fort Freeland did their utmost in this trying hour. Their resistance was so stubborn that the articles of capitulation were not accepted until the third proposal, and not then until all their ammunition was expended. The women even melted the pewter into bullets, while the men fired them at the besiegers. No further relief was believed possible.
After Captain MacDonald had sent the third demand for surrender, the defenders, under a flag of truce, agreed with the victors upon the terms which were as follows:
“Articles of Capitulation Entd into Between Captain John McDonald on his Majesties part & John Little on that of the Continental Congress.
“Article 1st. The Men in Garrison to March out & Ground their Arms in the Green, in Front of the Fort which is to be taken in possession of Immediately by his Majesty’s Troops. Agreed to.
“2ndly. All Men Bearing Arms are to Surrender themselves Prisoners of War & to be Sent to Niagara. Agd. to.
“3d. The Women and Children not to be Stript of their Clothing nor Molested by the Indians and to be at Liberty to move down the Country where they please. Agd. to.
John Mac Donald Capt. of Rangers. John Little.”
As soon as the fort capitulated, the Indians took possession of it, and their squaws became mischievous and destructive. Having completed the pillage of the fort, both Indians and British gathered together all the provisions they could find and proceeded to the creek, where they made preparations for a feast, but did not long enjoy it.
Captain Boone’s party soon arrived on opposite bank of creek, within less than one hundred yards of the feast. Not knowing the fort had been surrendered, they fired upon the British and Indians. We are advised thirty fell dead at the first volley. It was but a brief triumph, however, for the others rallied and surrounded the handful of Continentals, killing thirteen men, among the slain being Captain Boone himself.
When this party found itself caught in an ambuscade, word was quickly passed for each man to save himself, thus enabling a few to escape.
Every male in the fort had been taken prisoner and started toward Niagara where the few who survived the hardship of the forced march and the privations of the long imprisonment, remained until after the close of the war, when they rejoined the surviving members of their families.
In and about Fort Freeland, as a result of the attack 108 settlers were killed or led away as prisoners of war, not by Indians, but by the organized militia of Great Britain.
Fifty-two women and children, and four old men, were permitted to depart for Fort Augusta. Among the latter was John Vincent, who was permitted to care for his crippled wife. But Bethuel, Cornelius and Daniel Vincent were taken prisoners. Among others taken to Canada, who also lived to return to their families, were Captain John Little, James Daugherty, Moses Kirk, James Durham, Samuel Gould and two of the Freelands.
The enemy ravaged the country in the vicinity of the fort and burned and destroyed everything they could find. They advanced as far as Milton, where they burned Marcus Huling’s blacksmith shop, mill and dwelling house. The country presented a scene of desolation, and it remained in this condition for several years, the settlers being afraid to return.
This heavy toll of human life, to which should also be added the killed and wounded among the British and their Indian allies, numbering possibly as many more, marks a definite battle of the Revolution; with the magazines and stores at Fort Augusta and the cutting off of the rear of General Sullivan’s army, as the object of the attack.
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First Newspaper West of the Allegheny Mountains, the Gazette, of Pittsburgh, Established July 29, 1786
The first newspaper published west of the Allegheny Mountains was the Pittsburgh Gazette which made its initial bow to the public, July 29, 1786, and today, one hundred and thirty-eight years later, it is the largest paper published in the world’s greatest industrial district.
When the United States were yet very young, in fact, before the Federal Constitution was even proposed, before Washington was elected president, when the small cluster of log huts, protected by a stockade called Fort Pitt, was all that constituted Pittsburgh, is the time this old newspaper began its long and honorable career.
Early in the year 1786, John Scull and Joseph Hall rode into that western frontier post on the backs of heavy pack horses, over a long and rough trail, all the way from Philadelphia. They brought with them a small printing press, some type and a small supply of paper.
The pioneer printers established a printing office in a log cabin, along the bank of the Monongahela River, at the end of Chancery Lane. This primitive office soon attracted the attention of the more progressive citizens, among whom was Hugh H. Brackenridge, a lawyer, and an acknowledged leader of the Federal party in that section of Pennsylvania. Through his earnest solicitation and promise of patronage, Scull and Hall determined to establish a weekly newspaper. Brackenridge had agreed to edit the publication; and the first issue of the Pittsburgh Gazette appeared July 29.
The original subscription price was seventeen shillings and six pence per year. Advertising was paid for at the rate of four shillings a square. In lieu of cash, the publishers made known the fact that they would accept furs and skins and various kinds of country produce.
There was no postoffice in Pittsburgh at this time, nor for twenty years after the Gazette was established. The paper found its way east by means of the weekly mail service between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. When Pittsburgh was considered a place of sufficient importance to have a postoffice, John Scull, one of the publishers of the Gazette, was appointed Postmaster.
It is rather fortunate that the duties of the government position were not too exacting, for Postmaster Scull was the practical printer and performed the principal part of the actual publication. He even acted as carrier and tramped about town each week with the paper.
The story is told of Scull that when the pack trains from Philadelphia failed to arrive on time, or no white paper came when expected, that he used his close friendship for the commandant at Fort Pitt to his advantage by borrowing sufficient quantity of cartridge paper on which to print that week’s issue of the Gazette.
On November 10, 1786, the Gazette, in three lines announced the death of Joseph Hall, aged 22 years. Hall’s interest was acquired by John Boyd, but Scull as before, continued to be the real spirit behind the enterprise.
In June, 1789, a paper mill was built on Redstone Creek, in what is now Fayette County, by Jackson and Sharpless. This mill supplied the Gazette with cheaper paper, which enabled the owners to increase its size and reduce the subscription price to $2 a year.
Lawyer Brackenridge, in 1799, left the Federal party and threw all his influence with the Antifederalists, but Scull refused to go along with his editor, and Morgan Neville became the editorial writer.
Brackenridge and some of his adherents set up an opposition paper called the “Tree of Life.” Soon both papers were busy with libel suits, assaults and challenges to fight duels.
When the conflict of 1812 was precipitated the Gazette, like the other Federal organs, was adverse to war and urged a pacific settlement of difficulties with England. But when the war broke the Gazette supported the Federal Government with all its power. Its extra editions, containing the news brought in two days from Washington, were then looked upon as “prodigious feats of journalism.”
After full thirty years as the guiding spirit of the Gazette, August 1, 1816, John Scull transferred his interest in the paper to his son, John I. Scull. The editor, Morgan Neville, also became a partner.
Even with two other papers in Pittsburgh, the “Commonwealth” and the “Mercury,” the Gazette retained its leadership and now appeared semi-weekly.
In March, 1820, Eichbaum and Johnson purchased the Gazette and changed its name to “The Gazette and Manufacturer and Mercantile Advertiser.” Two years later David M. MacLean purchased the property and re-established the original title. In September, 1829, Neville B. Craig, became the owner and four years later the Gazette appeared as a daily. It strongly supported the Anti-Masonic party. In September, 1856, Russell Errett, and D. L. Eaton became joint owners of the Gazette and under their editorial management the paper made unusual progress.
Errett was one of the organizers of the Republican party and the Gazette became one of the first organs of that party in the country.
There were several other changes in ownership until June 1, 1900, when the late United States Senator George T. Oliver purchased the plant. May 1, 1906, the Pittsburgh Times was absorbed and the title changed to The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times.
On February 7, 1915, the Gazette-Times moved into the eight-story publication building on Gazette Square, where the paper is now published.
Since December 4, 1917, George S. Oliver has served as president and Charles W. Danziger, secretary and managing editor.
Even as Pittsburgh has grown from a village of log houses when the Gazette was established there, to one of the world’s most important cities, so the Gazette has evolved into one of the greatest newspapers published in America.
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Chambersburg Sacked and Burned by McCausland’s Rebel Force July 30, 1864
Three times during the Civil War the rebel horde rode into Pennsylvania, but two occasions stand out as conspicuous. First when Lee, with nearly 90,000 troops, in personal command, marched to his Waterloo at Gettysburg, the other was when three thousand Confederates were sent by General Early into Pennsylvania to burn Chambersburg in retaliation for General Hunter’s disgraceful and disastrous raid into Virginia.
General Darius N. Couch was in command of the Union forces at Chambersburg. Although a department he had but one hundred and fourteen men under his command and they were scattered over the country as scouts.
The startling news came to General Couch’s headquarters on the evening of July 29, 1864, that a Confederate force had entered Mercersburg and was marching toward Chambersburg. This was untimely news for less than twenty-four hours earlier a sufficient number of troops had passed through Chambersburg on their way to join General Hunter, to have repelled this rebel invasion.
The rebels reached the outskirts of Chambersburg before daylight, and employed their time in planting two batteries in commanding positions, and getting up the whole column, fully three thousand strong.
At 6 o’clock Saturday morning they opened with their batteries and fired six shots into the town. Immediately thereafter their skirmishers entered by almost every street and alley, and finding the way clear, their cavalry, to the number of 831, came in under the immediate command of General McCausland. General Bradley Johnson and the notorious Major Harry Gilmore were also with him.
McCausland and Gilmore demanded of the citizens, who were on the street, that they collect some of the prominent inhabitants with a view of entering into negotiations; the court house bell was rung, but only a few responded. To the few citizens who did come together, Captain Fitzhugh, of McCausland’s staff, produced and read a written order, signed by General Jubal Early, directing the command to proceed to Chambersburg, to demand a tribute of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in greenbacks, and on failure to secure the sum, to proceed to burn the town in retaliation of the burning of six or eight houses specified as having been burned in certain counties in Virginia, by General Hunter. He was promptly answered that Chambersburg could not and would not pay the ransom.
Infuriated at the determination of the people to do nothing, Major Gilmore rode up to a group of citizens, consisting of Thomas B. Kennedy, William McLellan, J. McDowell Sharpe, Dr. J. C. Richards, William H. McDowell, W. S. Everett, Edward G. Etter and M. A. Faltz, and ordered them under arrest. He said that they would be held for the payment of the money, and if not paid he would take them to Richmond as hostages and also burn every house in the town.
While the officer was endeavoring to force them into an effort to raise the money, his men commenced the work of firing, and they were liberated when it was found that intimidation would effect nothing.
The main part of the town was enveloped in flames in ten minutes. No time was given to remove women or children, the aged and infirm, or sick, or even the dead. They divided into squads, beat down the doors, smashed furniture, rifled drawers, appropriated money, jewelry, watches and valuables, then threw kerosene upon the combustible articles and plied the match. They invariably demanded ransom, before burning, but even when it was paid the property was burned. The people escaped with only the clothes on their backs, and some even then with difficulty.
The work of demolition continued two hours, more than half the town on fire at once. Three million dollars worth of property was destroyed, three thousand rendered homeless and many penniless, and not one of the innocent victims had violated any accepted rule of civilized warfare.
There were many incidents of the burning but only a few can be related. The house of James Watson, an old and feeble man past eighty, was entered, and because his wife remonstrated, they fired the room, hurled her into it and locked the door on the outside. Her daughters rescued her by bursting in the door before her clothing took fire. The widow of a Union soldier, pleading on her knees, was robbed of her last ten dollars and her little home fired. An aged invalid, unable to be out of his bed, pleaded to be spared a horrible death in the flames, but they laughed at him as they fired his home. Father McCullom, the Catholic priest, was robbed of his watch.
Colonel Stumbaugh was arrested near his home early in the morning, and with a pistol presented to his head ordered to procure some whiskey. He refused, for he had none, and was released. But afterwards was rearrested by another squad, the officer of which referred to him by name, when he was insulted in every possible way. He informed the officer that he had been in the service, and that if General Battles was present, they would not dare to insult him. When asked why, he answered: “I captured him at Shiloh, and treated him like a soldier.” A rebel major present, who had been under Battles, upon inquiry, was satisfied that Colonel Stumbaugh’s statement was correct, ordered his release and withdrew the entire rebel force from that part of Second Street, and no buildings were burned.
Soon after the work of destruction had commenced, a squad was detailed to burn “Norland,” the beautiful residence of Colonel Alexander K. McClure afterwards for many years the editor of the Philadelphia “Times.” “Norland” was a mile from the center of the town, and no other building was fired within a half mile of it, although fifty houses intervened. They would not allow Mrs. McClure or any servant to save anything belonging to the Colonel.
Several of the rebel thieves perpetrated their last pillage. Major Bowen, of the 8th Virginia Cavalry, got too far ahead of the firing in his greed for plunder and he was captured by several citizens and, slightly wounded, he took refuge in a burning cellar, where the intense heat blistered him. He begged to be spared, but he burned to death. Another demon, caught in an atrocious act of vandalism, was shot dead. A Captain Cochran, quartermaster of 11th Virginia Cavalry, was caught by Thomas H. Doyle, of Loudon, and at the point of his pistol was given just fifteen minutes to live. Cochran begged piteously for his life, but Doyle, on the very second, shot the thief dead, and found on his person $815 in greenbacks, all stolen from citizens, and $1750 of rebel currency.
Scores of McCausland’s command were killed on the retreat by General Averill’s forces. Many of them were intoxicated and so demoralized by their plunder they became an easy prey to the Federal troops who passed through Chambersburg in pursuit of the barbarians.
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Carlisle Indian School Established by Congress, July 31, 1882
The first non-reservation school established by the Government was at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and was only recently discontinued.
This school had its inception in the untiring efforts of General R. H. Pratt, U. S. A., when a lieutenant in charge of Indian prisoners of war at old Fort San Marco, St. Augustine, Florida, from May 11, 1875, to April 14, 1878.
When the release of these prisoners was ordered twenty-two of the young men were led to ask for further education, agreeing to remain in the east three years longer if they could attend school. These were sent to Hampton, Virginia, and several other places where they could attend a government school.
On September 6, 1879, an order was issued transferring the Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, comprising 27 acres, from the War Department to the Department of the Interior for Indian school purposes, pending
## action by Congress on a bill to establish such an institution. This bill
became a law July 31, 1882.
Lieutenant Pratt was, on September 6, 1879, ordered to report to the Secretary of the Interior, and by him was directed to proceed to Carlisle and there establish an Indian school. He was ordered to then proceed to Dakota and Indian territory for the purpose of obtaining pupils for the new school. So successful was the young officer that by the end of October, he had gathered together one hundred and thirty-six Indians from the Rosebud, Pine Ridge, and other agencies, and with eleven of the former Florida prisoners, then at school at Hampton, the new institution was opened at Carlisle Barracks, November 1, 1879, with an enrollment of one hundred and fifty-seven original Americans.
The school steadily progressed until more than a thousand pupils were enrolled and during its existence nearly every tribe in the United States had representatives on its rolls and at one period one hundred Alaskan Indians were in attendance.
The aim of the school was to teach English and give a primary education; and a knowledge of some common and practical industry, and means of self-support among civilized people.
To this end regular shops and farms were provided, the principal mechanical arts and farming were taught the boys, and the girls, cooking, sewing, laundry and housework. The instruction was made interesting so that the young Indians would not desire to return to reservation life, but would prefer to make for themselves a place among the people of the East.
During the summer vacation months, the young Indians would be placed in the homes of prosperous citizens, where they could do certain work and at the same time learn by direct example and association the ways of higher civilization. This was known as the “outing system,” and was a distinct feature not only of the Carlisle school, but of the Indian school service generally.
The literary curriculum of Carlisle stopped at that point where the student might enter the higher grades of the public schools. The pupil was left to his own resources for any further development of his intellectual faculties.
Many of the graduates of the Carlisle school are today filling responsible positions in the business world, and especially in the Indian service, in which they are employed as teachers, clerks and all the way to laborers.
Many of the Indians are musical and the school band was one of the features. The late Joel B. Ettinger, of Seattle, Wash., but formerly of Chester, Pa., where he conducted the famous old Sixth Regiment Band, organized the first band from among the various tribes represented in the school and soon developed a band which won the acclaim of the people wherever it played. Dennison and James Wheelock, Oneida Indians, became great leaders and succeeded Ettinger as instructors. The former was a successful composer of band music.
The Carlisle school produced the first paper printed by Indian boys. The printery was early established and became a potent factor in the industrial development of the students. The Indian Helper, a small leaflet, was first produced, and afterwards a larger magazine, The Red Man, was published, these being merged into Red Man and Helper, and creditably reflected the life and policies of the school.
Many prominent writers and educators frequently contributed to this magazine, thus helping the deserving wards of our government to make their effort a representative publication. Among those who sent valuable contributions to this paper was Reverend George P. Donehoo, then secretary of the Pennsylvania State Historical Society, late State Librarian, and one of the most eminent authorities on Indian history in the United States. The doctor is the proud possessor of a complete file of this valuable and interesting publication, which has become a very rare possession.
The physical training, both indoors and out, was a most important part of the life of the school. Indians take naturally to many of our popular sports, and many athletes of national and even international reputation have been developed at the school. Most conspicuous of these is Jim Thorpe, the world’s champion all-around athlete, winner of the pentathlon event in the Olympic games; Chief Charles A. Bender, the celebrated pitcher, a close second to Thorpe, while mention may also be made of Hudson, the Pierce brothers, Johnson, Metoxen and many others who have excelled above the average.
General Pratt remained in charge of the school from its organization until his retirement from the superintendency, June 30, 1904, when he was succeeded by Major (then Captain) William A. Mercer, U. S. A.
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French and Indians Attack and Burn Fort Granville, August 1,1756
Fort Granville was about one mile west of the present town of Lewistown, immediately on the north bank of the Juniata River and westward of the mouth of the Kishcoquillas Creek about one mile. There was a spring in the enclosure of the fort which was destroyed when the canal was dug at that place. No other evidences of this fort are seen today.