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Excerpts from…Eshleman, Henry Frank; Lancaster County Indians : annals of the Susquehannocks and other Indian tribes of the Susquehanna territory from about the year 1500 to 1763, the date of their extinction. An exhaustive and interesting series of historical papers descriptive of Lancaster County’s Indians prior to and during the advent of the paleface; Lancaster, Pa.: unknown, 1908, 416 pgs.
page 228…
1717 – Governor Spotswood Again Complains Against the Conestoga Indians.
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., p. 84, in a letter to Governor Keith, Governor Spotswood sayd that while he was holding a treaty on the Virginia frontier with the chiefs of the Catawbas, a party of Conestoga Indians (and likely some of the Five Nations from New York) learned from the Tuscaroras that the Catawbas were unarmed, making a treaty and then came among them, killed some and carried others away.
page 239…
1719 – The Indians on the Susquehanna Accused of Outrages in the South.
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec. p. 86, Governor Spotswood of Virginia complains against our Indians as follows:
“After your Indians found themselves not strong enough to attempt anything upon our Christianna Indians in their new situation, they marched home in May, 1719, openly threatening to return again with a greater force to try the strength of our Fort, and having taken their route through our inhabitants, they marched as though an enemy’s Country, living on free quarters, and committing several robberies and outrages on their way, and that we might understand they intended to continue their course. They in their way home, stopt on the 20th of May at the Conoy Town, under the Government of Pennsylvania, there sent for one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the County of Chester, and upon his (Mr. John Cartlidge’s) arrivalthey sit down before him in a grand Council of War, product fifteen prisoners, bid him discourse with two of them that spoke English. He finds them Virginians born, and intercedes for their lives and liberties; they refuse his request and in fine tell him they have made a path and repass to and from the Southward, having removed all obstacles out of the way, and that they expected to have free recourse for their people amongst the English plantations, whilst they were making war.
Soon after they returned in several parties carrying themselves very rudely to our outward inhabitants and in the month of July last, they approached Christianna and ravaged our corn fields close to the Fort there, upon which our Indians sallied out and a skirmish ensued, wherein were two of ours and four of yours killed. In September following they came in the Night and lay in ambush before the gate at the Fort, and at the opening thereof they shott the first person that came out, and kept firing upon the Fort until the English got to the great Guns, and so scared them away without any further mischief done at that time.
At length I found means to persuade one of their War Captains, (who calling himself Connaughtoora) to come in with ten more to a Council held here are Williamsburg, on the ninth of December last, where I with abundance of civil treatment, endeavored to engage him to carry a Belt of Peace to their Five Nations in behalf of our Christianna Indians, but he hautily refused the same, and answered that they would not be at peace with them upon any terms, however I prevailed upon him to carry with this propasal: That the Five Nations should observe their ancient treaty with this Government so far as not to come among the English Plantations, and particularly that none of their Warriors should approach within twenty miles of our Fort at Christianna.”
From this complaint of Spotswood’s we are almost forced to admit that the Conestogas and other Indians of this neighborhood being forced by the Senecas and other tribes of the Five Nations, who were their masters were forced to make war parties into Maryland and Virginia, much against their will as we shall see very clearly in the remonstrance which the Conestogas made about these proceedings the next year.
page 240…
1719 – The Conestoga Indians Complain that the Southern Indians are Attacking Them.
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., p. 66, at a Council held it was set forth by Governor Keith that he received a letter from Conestoga and his comment upon it as follows:
“I have received a letter from the Indian Chiefs at Conestogoe by a letter to Mr. Secretary Logan, which informs us, that our Indian Hunters have been attacked near the head of Potowmack River by a considerable body of Southern Indians come out to war against the Five Nations, and the Indian settlements on the Susquehanna.
They have killed several of our people, and alarmed them all, so that the careful attention and vigilance of the Government was never more called upon that at this Juncture, and much will depend upon your unanious and steady resolutions to support
the administration in all its Parts.”
From this it will apprear that the above complaint of Spotswood may be unfair because our Indians now complain that the Southern Indians were making war upon them.
1719 – Indian Wigwams Along the Octoraro Creek.
Rupp in his History of Lancaster County at the bottom of page 42, in a note says, “The Shawnese had wigwams along the bank of the Octoraro creek, near the present boundary of Chester and Lancaster county. When the road, in 1719 to Christiana bridge, etc., was laid, its course was defined – to the fording place at Octoraro, at old Shawana town, thence over Octoraro, along the Indian path, etc. Court Records, at Chester, August Term, 1719.”
Yeah, Sue, that’s some of the most vivid writing about Fort Christanna I’ve ever seen. Thanks! I know I will have that in mind next time I visit the place.
BTW, the last time we were there we got scared off by a bear in the woods. That’s how wild it is [again}.
Here’s a little bit more from the same book…
page 224…
1717 – A Great Treaty at Conestoga
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., pp. 21 and 22 it is set forth that the following proceedings took place, “at a Council held at Conestoga, the 9th day of July, 1717.” Then follows a list of the members of Council who journeyed with Governor Keith to Conestoga, and took part in this treaty. They were Richard Hill, Isaac Norris, James Logan, Anthony Palmer, Robert Ashton and John French. The importance of this treaty is attested by the fact that these six men were perhaps the most prominent sextette in Pennsylvania at this time. The report of the treaty is as follows:
“Present the Chiefs, and others of the Conestogoe or Mingo Indians, the Delawares, the Shawanoise and Gunawoise, all inhabiting upon or near the banks of the River Susquehannah.
A memorial from Captain Christopher Smith, of Virginia, having been presented to the Governor, was read at the Board in ye words following, viz:
To the Honorable William Keith, Esq., Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware; and the Honorable Council at Conestogoe, Capt. Christopher Smith humbly Sheweth,
That he being commissioned and instructed by the Honorable Alexander Spotswood, Esq., Governor of Virginia, to go to New York, and with lycense and permission of the Governor of these said province of New York, to discourse with the Indians or elsewhere concerning the murdering of some Catawba Indians at Fort Christianna in the colony of Virginia, who are in amity with the said Government of Virginia, which said insult was then supposed to be commited by the Senequa Indians, and also to demand the Delivery up of the prisoners taken at the place aforesaid, with reparation for the insults…
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done upon the said Catawba Indians.
And whereas, the said Christopher Smith, by the assistance of his Excellency Brigader Hunter, Governor of New York hath procured the confession of the said Senequa Indians, wherein they acknowledge that some of their men were concerned in the killing, of some of the said Catawba Indians near Fort Christianna aforesaid, but do say that they did not know the said Catawba Indians were in amity or upon a treaty with Government of Virginia and have now ingaged for themselves, that all acts of hostility against the said Catabaw Indians or any others in amity with the said Government of Virginia shall leave, and if the woman Prisoner lately taken in Virginia by some of their men, who (at present is escaped out of their hands) be taken up by any of their people, that she shall be safely delivered up to the Governor of New York, in order to be sent back to Virginia; and the said Christopher Smith, being lately informed that some of the Shawanois Indians in the Province of Pennsylvania, and in amity with this Government, were present and concerned in the murder and insult aforesaid, committed at Fort Christianna aforesaid, Humbly Request Your Honors assistance and Countenance in obtaining an interview with the said Shawanois Indians and an interpreter to assist him in discoursing with the said Indians; and if it appears that any of the Indians in friendship with your Government have been concerned in the committing the aforesaid fact, that the said Christopher Smith may have your Honor’s assistance and counteanace in procuring reparation for the wrong done, but if it appear that none of the Indians in Covenant or friendship with you have been concerned in this cruelty, that then he may be assisted in making such terms of Friendship with the said Indians, which by his commission he is fully empowered to do, as for the future may do for the safety and quiet of his Majesty’s subjects, and the Indians in amity with the Government of Virginia and Pennsylvania. CHRISTOPHER SMITH.
The said Capt. Smith (being desired so to do), produced his commission from the Governor of Virginia, under the seal of that Government, together with his instructions referred to in his said commission both of which were also read.
And because the subject of the said memorial principally concerned the said Shawanoise Indians, Martin Chartiere who understood and spoke their language well, was sworn as an interpreter on this occation.
The insult lately made on the Government of Virginia, at the Fort Christianna, as it is mentioned in the said memorial was then fully related to those Indians, and they required to inform the Governor whether any of their nation were concerned in that fact, or know anything of it.
They answered that six of their men had accompanied that party of Five Nations who had committed the fact, but that none of those six were here present, their settlement being much higher up on the Susquehannah River, and being asked such further questions as Captain Smith requested might be proposed to them in this affair, they answered to them severally as follows, viz:
That according to the information they had received from the six persons aforementioned of their Nation, after their return home, there was only eighteen persons of the whole company imployed in that attack…
page 226…
…near the said Fort at Christianna, and that the above mentioned six of their nations were with the rest, at some considerable distance by the side of a creek or brook, and were no way concerned in it, neither did they know anything of it until the return of the said party of eighteen who had killed six men on the spot, took one prisoner who soon made his escape, and a woman whom they carried along with them, and that this was all they knew of the matter.
Being further asked whether any of their Indians knew anything of killing Major Joshua Wynne, in Virginia, about five years agoe, they said that they did not know anything of it.
Whether they knew anything of the Indians killing a negro man in Virginia, belonging to Captain Robert Hicks, about four years agoe; they answer they knew nothing of it.
Being asked what they knew of some Indians of the Five Nations having about four years agoe plundered a company of Virginia Indians, Trading at Enoe River.
They answer that they had often heard talk about such a thing, but that none of them were concerned in it, or could give any account of it.
The Shawanoise and all the other Indians present were further asked whether they had any prisoners of the Catawba Indians, or any other Nation in friendship with Virginia. The Shawanoise answered that they had one prisoner a young man taken some years ago, whom they produced; but all the others answered they had none.
It was demanded of the Shawnois that this prisoner should be returned to the Catawbas, from whence he was taken. Their King or Chief answered that they had taken him several years ago, when he was but a little lad; that he had now forgot his native language and spoke theirs and that they did not think themselves obliged to return him at this time.
Being further prest to it, the Chief answered that if the King of the Catawbas, whom he now understood were in league with Virginia, would come hither and make peace with him and his people (the Shawanois), he might have the young man back with him, if it was desired; but that that Catawbas were a people of great extent, and there were many nations under that name.
The young man was asked whether he was willing to return, but would give no answer.
Captain Smith proposed that he might have liberty to treat with those Indians in order to make a league with them in behalf of the Government of Virginia, to which he was authorized by Colonel Spotswood commission and instructions.
The Governor answered that he did not conceive it to be necessary or useful that any person whatsoever should be permitted to treat with the Indians, except the Government of that Colony, to which the Indians respetively belonged; but if Colonel Spotswood (for whom the Governor had a very great regard) desired to make any treaty with the Indians who lived under the protection of this Government, for establishing a peace and good understanding between them and the Indains under the protection of Virginia the Governor himself, with advice of his Council, would heartily endeavor to accomplish a treaty upon such reasonable terms as Colonel Spotswood might propose in behalf of Virginia; and that in the meatime the Governor now would at this juncture (at it…
page 227…
…has been usual in this province) in sist upon our Indians friendship too, and a good correspondence with, all the Engligh Colony’s, with their dependent Indians, and Virginia in particular.
The Governor then spoke to the Indians by the Interpreters, in the words and manner following.
That they must carefully remember that all the several Government, (which the interpreters particularly inumerated), from New England to South Carolina inclusive; thought they have different Governors, yet they are all subjects to the great King and Emporer of the English; so that when any Government makes a treaty of friendship with the Indians, they must also treat and make the same bond of friendship for all other English people, as well as themselves, by which means all the Indian nations who are in League and friendship with any English Governemnt, must also be friends to each other….
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