THE COVE--EARLY SETTLEMENT BY DUNKARDS--INDIAN MASSACRES AND
CAPTIVES--MASSACRE OF ULLERY--A RESISTANT DUNKARD, ETC.
"The Great Cove, Little Cove, and Canolloways," are mentioned
frequently in government papers as far back as 1749, Indian traders
having penetrated them at a much earlier date than that; yet they only
figure prominently from that period. The Great Cove, now known as
Morrison's, commences at Pattonsville, in Bedford county, and ends at
Williamsburg, on the Juniata--bounded by Dunning's and Lock Mountains
on the west, and Tussey Mountain on the east. For fertile limestone
land, beautiful scenery, and splendid farms, few valleys in the State
equal--none surpass--Morrison's Cove.
The earliest settlement of the cove was effected by Scotch-Irish, as
early as 1749; but they shared the fate of the burnt-cabin folks when
Secretary Peters answered the prayers of the Indians, and were
expelled. Nothing daunted, however, many of them returned, and
commenced improving; that, too, before the scions of "Father Onus" had
acquired the right, title, and interest, to all and singular these fine
lands, for the munificent sum of £400!
The greater portion of the beautiful valley, however, was almost
unexplored until the Penns made the new purchase. About 1755, a colony
of Dunkards took up the southern portion of the Cove, and their
descendants hold possession of it to this day. They have unquestionably
the finest farms, as well as the most fertile land, in the State; and
right glad should we be to end _their_ portion of the chapter by
saying so, or even by adding that for thrift and economy they stand
unsurpassed; but a sense of candor compels us to speak of them as they
are,--"nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."
In the first place, let it be understood that we are in no particle
indebted to them for one iota of the blessings of government we enjoy.
They are strict non-resistants; and in the predatory incursions of the
French and Indians, in 1756-63, and, in fact, during all the savage
warfare, they not only refused to take up arms to repel the savage
marauders and prevent the inhuman slaughter of women and children, but
they refused in the most positive manner to pay a dollar to support
those who were willing to take up arms to defend their homes and their
firesides, until wrung from them by the stern mandates of the law, from
which there was no appeal.
They did the same thing when the Revolution broke out. There was a
scarcity of men. Sixty able-bodied ones among them might readily have
formed a cordon of frontier defence, which could have prevented many of
the Indian massacres which took place between 1777 and 1780, and more
especially among their own people in the Cove. But not a man would
shoulder his rifle; they were _non-resistants_! They might, at least,
have furnished money, for they always had an abundance of that, the
hoarding of which appeared to be the sole aim and object of life with
them. But, no; not a dollar! They occupied neutral ground, and wished
to make no resistance. Again; they might have furnished supplies. And
they _did_ furnish supplies to those who were risking their lives to
repel the invaders,--but it was only when the almighty dollar
accompanied the demand.
After the massacre of thirty of them, in less than forty-eight hours,
Colonel Piper, the lieutenant-colonel of Bedford county, made a
stirring appeal to them. But it was of no avail; they were
non-resistants, and evidently determined to remain such.
Of the peculiar religious tenets of these primitive people we do not
profess to know any thing; hence our remarks are unbiassed. We are
solely recording historical facts.
As a curious anomaly in the history of the present generation, it may
be stated that, although they perform that part of the compact between
government and a good citizen which relates to paying taxes, _they
never vote_, neither can the most seductive persuasions of politicians
bring them to the polls. Like their forefathers, they are
non-resistant--producers, but non-consumers.
During the Indian wars of 1762, quite a number of murders were
committed in the Cove, and many captives taken, but the particulars are
too vague for history. Although we made every effort to ascertain the
names of some of the massacred and the circumstances attending their
massacre, we signally failed. It may, therefore, be supposed that, in
the absence of any record, there is no other method of ascertaining
facts extant.
During the Great Cove massacre, among others carried into captivity was
the family of John Martin. This incursion was indeed a most formidable
one, led by the kings Shingas and Beaver in person. How many were
killed there is no living witness to tell; neither can we conjecture
the number of prisoners taken. The following petition was sent by John
Martin to council:--
_August 13, 1762._
The Humble Petition of Your Most Obedient Servant Sheweth, Sir, may
it pleas Your Excellancy, Hearing me in Your Clemancy a few Words.
I, One of the Bereaved of my Wife and five Children, by Savage War
at the Captivity of the Great Cove, after Many & Long Journeys, I
Lately went to an Indian Town, viz., Tuskaroways, 150 miles Beyond
Fort Pitts, & Entrested in Co^l. Bucquits & Co^l. Croghan's favor,
So as to bear their Letters to King Beaver & Cap^t. Shingas,
Desiring them to Give up One of my Daughters to me, Whiles I have
Yet two Sons & One Other Daughter, if Alive, Among them--and after
Seeing my Daughter with Shingas he Refused to Give her up, and
after some Expostulating with him, but all in vain, he promised to
Deliver her up with the Other Captives to y^r Excellency.
Sir, y^r Excellency's Most Humble Serv^t, Humbly & Passionately
Beseeches Y^r Beningn Compassion to interpose Y^r Excellencies
Beneficent influence in favor of Y^r Excellencies Most Obedient &
Dutiful Serv^t.
JOHN MARTIN.
After the march of General Forbes from Raystown, and immediately
preceding it, no Indian depredations were committed in the Cove up to
the commencement of hostilities between the Colonies and Great Britain.
The Indians in the French interest were constantly on the alert; and
their spies prowling on the outskirts did not fail to report at
head-quarters the arrival at Raystown of Colonel Boquet and his army,
the formidable bearing and arms of which convinced the savages that it
was prudent to keep within the bounds of the French power.
The first Indian depredations of the Revolution in the Juniata Valley
were committed in November, 1777. A large body of Indians--not less
than thirty--armed with British rifles, ammunition, tomahawks,
scalping-knives, and all other murderous appliances they were capable
of using, came into the settlement with the avowed intention of
gathering scalps for His Britannic Majesty's officers at Detroit. Their
coming was not unlooked-for, but the settlers were unprepared for them.
The constant rumors afloat that a large body of savages, British, and
tories, were coming, struck the people with so much panic that there
was no effort made to give any such force as might come a warlike
reception, but their energies were concentrated in measures of defence.
The first Indian depredators, or at least the greater portion of them,
were seen at a camp-fire by a party of hunters; and if the proper
exertions had been made to cut them off, few other outrages would have
followed. The supposition is that there were two parties of about
fifteen each, who met at or near Neff's Mill, in the Cove. On their way
thither, the one party killed a man named Hammond, who resided along
the Juniata, and the other party killed a man named Ullery, who was
returning from Neff's Mill on horseback. They also took two children
with them as prisoners.
The alarm was spread among the inhabitants, and they fled to the
nearest forts with all despatch; and on this first expedition they
would have had few scalps to grace their belts, had the Dunkards taken
the advice of more sagacious people, and fled too; this, however, they
would not do. They would follow but half of Cromwell's advice:--they
were willing to put their "trust in God," but they would not "keep
their powder dry." In short, it was a compound they did not use at all.
The savages swept down through the Cove with all the ferocity with
which a pack of wolves would descend from the mountain upon a flock of
sheep. Some few of the Dunkards, who evidently had a latent spark of
love of life, hid themselves away; but by far the most of them stood
by and witnessed the butchery of their wives and children, merely
saying, "_Gottes wille sei gethan_."[3] How many Dunkard scalps they
carried to Detroit cannot now be, and probably never has been, clearly
ascertained,--not less than thirty, according to the best authority.
In addition to this, they loaded themselves with plunder, stole a
number of horses, and under cover of night the triumphant warriors
marched bravely away.
[3] "God's will be done." This sentence was so frequently
repeated by the Dunkards during the massacre, that the
Indians must have retained a vivid recollection of it. During
the late war with Great Britain, some of the older Indians
on the frontier were anxious to know of the Huntingdon
volunteers whether the "_Gotswiltahns_" still resided in
the Cove. Of course our people could not satisfy them on such
a vague point.
Thomas Smith and George Woods, both, we believe, justices of the peace
at the time, wrote to President Wharton as follows:--
_November 27, 1777._
Gentlemen:--The present situation of this country is so truly
deplorable that we should be inexcusable if we delayed a moment in
acquainting you with it. An Indian war is now raging around us in
its utmost fury. Before you went down they killed one man at Stony
Creek; since that time they have killed five on the mountain, over
against the heads of Dunning's Creek, killed or taken three at the
Three Springs, wounded one, and killed some children by Frankstown;
and had they not providentially been discovered in the night, and a
party gone out and fired on them, they would, in all probability,
have destroyed a great part of that settlement in a few hours. A
small party went out into Morrison's Cove scouting, and
unfortunately divided; the Indians discovered one division, and out
of eight killed seven and wounded the other. In short, a day hardly
passes without our hearing of some new murder; and if the people
continue only a week longer to fly as they have done for a week
past, Cumberland county will be a frontier. From Morrison's,
Crayl's, and Friend's Coves, Dunning's Creek, and one-half of the
Glades, they are fled or forted; and, for all the defence that can
be made here, the Indians may do almost what they please. We keep
out ranging-parties, in which we go out by turns; but all that we
can do in that way is but weak and ineffectual for our defence,
because one-half of the people are fled: those that remain are too
busily employed in putting their families and the little of their
effects that they can save and take into some place of safety, so
that the whole burden falls upon a few of the frontier inhabitants,
for those who are at a distance from danger have not as yet offered
us any assistance. We are far from blaming the officers of the
militia because they have not ordered them out, for if they had,
they really can be of little or no service, not only for the
foregoing reasons, but also for these:--Not one man in ten of them
is armed. If they were armed, you are sensible, take the country
through, there is not one fourth man that is fit to go against
Indians, and it might often happen that in a whole class there
might not be a single person who is acquainted with the Indians'
ways of the woods; and if there should be a few good men, and the
rest unfit for that service, those who are fit to take the Indians
in their own way could not act with the same resolution and spirit
as if they were sure of being properly supported by men like
themselves. The consequence would be that the Indians, after
gaining an advantage over them, would become much more daring and
fearless, and drive all before them. A small number of select men
would be of more real service to guard the frontiers than six times
that number of people unused to arms or the woods. It is not for us
to dictate what steps ought to be taken, but some steps ought to be
taken without the loss of an hour. The safety of your country, of
your families, of your property, will, we are convinced, urge you
to do every thing in your power to put the frontiers in some state
of defence. Suppose there were orders given to raise about one
hundred rangers, under the command of spirited officers, who were
well acquainted with the woods and the Indians and could take them
in their own way. They could be raised instantly, and we are
informed there are a great number of rifles lying in Carlisle
useless, although the back country is suffering for the want of
arms. It was a fatal step that was taken last winter in leaving so
many guns when the militia came from camp; about this place,
especially, and all the country near it, they are remarkably
distressed for the want of guns, for when the men were raised for
the army you know we procured every gun that we could for their
use. The country reflect hard on us now for our assiduity on those
occasions, as it now deprives them of the means of defence. But
this is not the only instance in which we hear reflections which
are not deserved. The safety of our country then loudly called on
us to send all the arms to the camp that could be procured, and it
now as loudly calls on us to entreat that we may be allowed some as
soon as possible, as also some ammunition; as that which was
intrusted to our care is now almost delivered out to the officers
who are fortifying, and what remains of it is not fit for rifles.
We need not repeat our entreaties that whatever is done may be done
as soon as possible, as a day's delay may be the destruction of
hundreds.
We are, in haste, gentlemen,
Your most obedient, humble servants,
GEORGE WOODS.
THOMAS SMITH.
BEDFORD, _November 27, 1777_.
The persons mentioned as having been killed belonged mostly to the
Cove; but the number was greatly exaggerated, as in fact but two were
killed and one wounded. The other five escaped, and did not return
until after the report of their death had gone abroad. The names of the
killed we could not ascertain.
The band of Indians, after the Dunkard massacre, worked their way
toward the Kittaning war-path, leaving behind them some few stragglers
of their party whose appetite for blood and treasure had not been
satiated. Among others, an old and a young Indian stopped at Neff's
Mill. Neff was a Dunkard; but he was a single exception so far as
resistance was concerned. He had constantly in his mill his loaded
rifle, and was ready for any emergency. He had gone to his mill in the
morning without any knowledge of Indians being in the neighborhood, and
had just set the water-wheel in motion, when he discovered the two
Indians lurking, within a hundred yards, in a small wood below the
mill. Without taking much time to deliberate how to act, he aimed
through the window, and deliberately shot the old Indian. In an instant
the young Indian came toward the mill, and Neff ran out of the back
door and up the hill. The quick eye of the savage detected him, and he
fired, but missed his aim. Nothing daunted by the mishap, the savage
followed up the cleared patch, when both, as if by instinct, commenced
reloading their rifles. They stood face to face, not forty yards apart,
on open ground, where there was no possible chance of concealment. The
chances were equal: he that loaded first would be victor in the strife,
the other was doomed to certain death. They both rammed home the bullet
at the same time--with what haste may well be conjectured. This was a
critical juncture, for, while loading, neither took his eye off the
other. They both drew their ramrods at the same instant, but the
intense excitement of the moment caused the Indian to balk in drawing
his, and the error or mishap proved fatal, because Neff took advantage
of it, and succeeded in priming and aiming before the Indian. The
latter, now finding the muzzle of Neff's rifle bearing upon him,
commenced a series of very cunning gyrations and contortions to destroy
his aim or confuse him, so that he might miss him or enable him to
prime. To this end, he first threw himself upon his face; then,
suddenly rising up again, he jumped first to the right, then to the
left, then fell down again. Neff, not the least put off his guard,
waited until the Indian arose again, when he shot him through the head.
Neff, fearing that others might be about, left the mill and started to
the nearest settlement. A force was raised and the mill revisited; but
it was found a heap of smouldering cinders and ashes, and the dead
bodies of the Indians had been removed. It is altogether likely that
the rear of the savage party came up shortly after Neff had left, fired
the mill, and carried away their slain companions.
For the part Neff took in the matter he was excommunicated from the
Dunkard society. Nevertheless, he rebuilt his mill; but the Dunkards,
who were his main support previously, refused any longer to patronize
him, and he was eventually compelled to abandon the business.
On the 4th of May, 1781, a band of marauding savages entered the Cove
and murdered a man, woman, and two children, and took one man prisoner,
within a mile of the fort of John Piper, who was then colonel of the
county. Names or particulars could not be ascertained.
At another time--period not remembered--several prisoners were taken.
The name of the Cove was changed from the "Great Cove" to "Morrison's
Cove," in honor of a Mr. Morris, as early as 1770.