begun in Chester County, soon after the earliest settlements. The
boundary continued to be a bone of contention until a temporary line was
run in 1739, and even this did not fully settle the difficulty, for
there was dispute until Mason and Dixon’s line was run 1767–8.
Governor Keith had frequent controversies with Governor Ogle, of
Maryland, concerning encroachments in the southern part of Lancaster
County.
The Marylanders were attempting to make settlements west of the
Susquehanna, in the present York County.
Governor Keith conceived the idea of obtaining permission of the Indians
along the Susquehanna to lay off a large manor, as the proprietor’s
one-tenth, and he proceeded to Conestoga, early in June, 1722, for this
purpose.
Here he called together the Conestoga, Shawnee, who lived farther up the
river, and the Ganawese, afterwards known as the Canoy, who lived at the
present site of Columbia.
Keith had authority from the heirs of William Penn to lay off a manor
west of the river for the benefit of Springett Penn, the favorite
grandson of the founder of Pennsylvania and son of Richard Penn.
This conference was first assembled June 15. Here Governor Keith, with
persuasive eloquence, commended the Indians for their virtues, praised
them for what they had already done for William Penn and his heirs, and
obtained their consent to cross the river and make a survey of 70,000
acres.
Governor Keith spoke at great length and earnestness. He began by
saying:
“Friends and Brothers: You say you love me because I come from your
father, William Penn. You call me William Penn, and I am very proud of
the name you give me; but if we have a true love for the memory of
William Penn, we must show it to his family and his children that are
grown to be men in England, and will soon come over to represent him
here.”
He then referred to the previous treaty where they showed him the
parchment received from William Penn, and he then told the Indians of
the encroachments of the Marylanders.
Keith then said he came to consult with them how they could prevent such
settlements and suggested the plan to take up a large tract of land on
the other side of the Susquehanna River for Springett Penn.
He told the Indians that Penn’s grandson was now a man as tall as he;
that the land should be marked with Springett’s name upon the trees, so
that the Marylanders would then keep off and it would also warn every
other person from settling near enough to the Indians to disturb them.
He added that the grandson bore the same kind of a heart as his
grandfather did, and he would be glad to give the Indians part of the
land for their use and convenience. With these and similar phrases Keith
won his point.
At a council held June 16, 1722, with Governor Keith, Colonel John
French, Francis Worley, Esq., the chief of several tribes, and Smith and
Le Tort, as interpreters, present, the Indians made reply through Chief
Tawena, and agreed to give up the land, but suggested that the Governor
take up the matter further with the Cayuga when he attended a treaty at
Albany.
The Indians requested that the surveyor begin his work immediately and
not wait until the Governor was absent at Albany.
The warrant was made out, and the surveyors, John French, Francis Worley
and James Mitchell made a report of their survey, June 21.
This tract contained 75,500 acres and began opposite the mouth of
Conestoga Creek, at Lockport Run and ran south by west ten miles, thence
northwest twelve miles to a point north of the present city of York.
Thence northeast eight miles to the Susquehanna River again, and from
thence along the river to the place of beginning.
The exact positions and boundary lines of the original Springettsbury
Manor were never thoroughly understood, and there resulted much
controversy about the survey.
The warrant and survey were not returned into the land office, but the
entire transaction appeared to have been done under the private seal of
Governor Keith, and no actual purchase was ever made from the Indians,
June 15 or 16.
The origin of the Penn Manors began with the charter to William Penn,
which contained several powers to erect manors.
On July 11, 1681, Penn agreed with the purchasers in England, who were
interested in his grant on certain conditions and concessions. The ninth
of these was, that “in every one hundred thousand acres, the Governor
and Proprietary, by lot, reserveth ten to himself which shall lie but in
one place.” The name of “Manor” was given to these portions of reserved
land in its genuine legal sense.
There were eighty-two Proprietary manors set apart, fourteen in
Northumberland, twelve in Northampton, nine in Chester, seven each in
Philadelphia, Bucks, Lancaster, and Bedford, six in Westmoreland, four
in Cumberland, and three each in York and Berks Counties. Three of the
manors were not located.
The largest in territory was Springettsbury, with Manor of Maske, in
York (now Adams) County, next in size with 43,500 acres. Fagg Manor in
Chester County, contained 39,250 acres. The smallest was Lake
Paupunauming Manor, in Northampton County, which contained only 215
acres.
When the Revolution changed the form of government for Pennsylvania all
the confiscations by which lesser men were punished are cast into the
shade by the great Divesting Act. The Proprietary family were deprived
of their lordship of the soil of Pennsylvania, their unlocated and
unappropriated lands and the quit rents which had been reserved outside
of their manors. This was the destruction of the greatest private estate
in the world, but it was necessary.
There were saved to the Penns all manors which had been surveyed for
them prior to July 4, 1776.
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British and Tory Refugees Evacuate
Philadelphia June 17, 1778
Sir William Howe had found the occupation of Philadelphia a barren
conquest, and the evacuation of the city was felt by General Washington
to be so certain only a question of time that as early as March, 1778,
he began to collect wagons and organize teams for the transportation
service of his army, when it should be required to march after the
enemy.
Howe’s proper point for operations was New York, and Washington felt
sure he would return thither. Instead of that, however, Howe yielded to
the complaints at his supineness in England and, being desirous to
return home, resigned.
Sir Henry Clinton, successor to General Howe, arrived in Philadelphia
May 8, and took formal command of the British Army May 11. Before Howe’s
departure a fete was arranged May 18 in his honor called the Meschianza,
and it comprised a regatta, tournament, feast and ball.
Lord Howe embarked for England May 24, and the same day Clinton held a
council of war. They were fearful that the French fleet would cut off
their communication with England, also the knowledge that the American
capital was not of much importance to them after all, the fact that
Congress had fled on wheels, and that Pennsylvania had remained loyal,
they resolved to evacuate Philadelphia.
Not the least fear was for Washington’s army, now thoroughly drilled by
Baron Steuben, a Prussian officer, who had come to Valley Forge in
February. This army now became a source of real danger to the British.
But the movement of the British troops was delayed, as on June 6 three
commissioners to effect peace, the Earl of Carlisle, William Eden and
George Johnston, arrived in Philadelphia. They were willing to gratify
every wish that America had expressed. But it was too late. Franklin and
his associates had secured an alliance with France and the American
Congress refused to entertain such propositions.
It is said that Joseph Reed, one of Pennsylvania’s delegates in
Congress, was offered £10,000 and the best office in the colonies if he
would promote the plans for peace; but he promptly replied: “I am not
worth purchasing; but such as I am, the King of Great Britain is not
rich enough to do it.”
Clinton’s army, accompanied by Tory refugees, evacuated Philadelphia
June 17, crossed the Delaware at Camden and Gloucester in great haste,
while the fleet floated slowly down the bay.
Washington learned of the retreat of the enemy and moved his army out of
Valley Forge, followed Clinton, and on Sunday, June 28, fought the
Battle of Monmouth, which resulted in the precipitate flight of Clinton,
with the wreck of his army, to New York. About 800 of Clinton’s men
deserted, of whom seventy came to Philadelphia in one day.
An incident occurred following the Battle of Monmouth which exerted a
greater effect upon the American Army than many a skirmish between
brigades, for it ended the unfortunate “Conway’s Cabal.” Certain remarks
upon General Conway’s behavior at the Battle of Germantown brought a
challenge from General Conway to General Cadwallader, who of all the
American high officers remained the most loyal friend, supporter and
admirer of General Washington.
A duel was fought, in which Conway was severely wounded, and, believing
himself to be dying, repented and expressed to General Washington his
grief, adding, “My career will soon be over, therefore justice and truth
prompt me to declare my last sentiments—May you long enjoy the love,
veneration and esteem of these States whose liberties you have asserted
by your virtues.”
Upon the re-occupation of Philadelphia by the Continental Army, Major
General Benedict Arnold was ordered by General Washington to take
command of the city and “prevent the disorders which were expected upon
the evacuation of the place and the return of the Whigs, after being so
long kept out of their property.”
Arnold occupied, during part of his stay, a handsome country estate,
which is now in Fairmount Park, lived most extravagantly and married
Margaret, popularly known as “Peggy” Shippen, daughter of one of
Governor Penn’s councillors, afterward Chief Justice of the State.
On June 25 the Supreme Executive Council took into consideration the
case of John Gilfray, boatswain of the ship Montgomery, found guilty of
deserting to the enemy and under sentence of death. It being the first
conviction of an offense of this kind in the State fleet, he was
pardoned, and Commodore Hazelwood was authorized to offer full pardon to
all deserters who returned before September 1.
Beginning of this month, however, Lieutenant Lyon, of the “Dickinson,”
and Lieutenant Ford, of the “Effingham,” who deserted during the attack
upon Fort Mifflin, were executed on board of one of the guard boats on
the Delaware. Lieutenant Wilson, of the Rangers, and John Lawrence, one
of the gunners of the fleet, who deserted at the same time and were
under sentence of death, were reprieved.
Active measures were taken for the speedy trial of all persons accused
of high treason, and the conviction of quite a number excited an intense
sensation and much alarm among the Tories and Quakers. Several were
executed, notwithstanding every exertion to save them. The Whigs had
suffered too severely at the hands of the disaffected, and some victims
were necessary to mollify the animosities.
Congress closed its business at York and went back to Philadelphia, June
25, and the State government left Lancaster the following day and again
resumed their duties at Philadelphia.
President Wharton died suddenly at Lancaster, May 23, and George Bryan
was made President of the Supreme Executive Council.
The Whigs now began to punish the Tories. The Assembly passed an “act
for the attainder of divers traitors,” among whom were Joseph Galloway,
Reverend Jacob Duché and the Allens. The Quakers and the German sects
were special objects of suspicion, because they thought it wrong to take
up arms.
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Provincial Conference Meets at Carpenters’
Hall June 18, 1776
In April, 1776, the Assembly renewed its instructions to the
Pennsylvania delegates in Congress not to give their consent to a
separation or a change of the Proprietary Government. But Congress, May
15, recommended State governments in the colonies, and declared that all
authority under the Crown should be totally suppressed.
On June 8, the day after Richard Henry Lee, in Congress, had proposed
the independence of the colonies, the Pennsylvania Assembly gave
instructions which neither advised nor forbade a declaration of
independence, but left the question to the “ability, prudence and
integrity” of the delegates. This doubtful action proved the end of the
Proprietary Assembly. Only once did it again have a quorum of its
members.
Instead of allowing the State Government, as suggested by Congress, to
be formed by members of the Assembly sworn to support the King, the
people of Pennsylvania took the matter in their own hands and issued a
call for a provincial convention for that purpose.
This was the death blow to Proprietary authority. A public meeting held
in Philadelphia sent a protest against the Assembly of the Province
undertaking to frame a new government, as it derived its power from a
royal charter, and did not truly represent the people. The meeting
called for a convention. Opposed to this was a remonstrance against
amending the constitution except by the authority provided in the
charter itself.
The Declaration of Independence had given the old State Government a
mortal blow, and it soon expired without a sigh—thus ending forever the
Proprietary and royal authority in Pennsylvania.
In the meantime, the Committee of Correspondence for Philadelphia issued
a circular to all the county committees for a conference in that city on
Tuesday, June 18.
On the day appointed there was a meeting of the deputies at Carpenters’
Hall, which organized by electing Colonel Thomas McKean, president;
Colonel Joseph Hart, of Bucks County, vice president, and Jonathan B.
Smith and Samuel C. Morris, both of Philadelphia, secretaries.
The conference was composed of twenty-five delegates from the city of
Philadelphia; eleven from the county of Philadelphia; five from Bucks;
thirteen from Chester; nine from Lancaster; ten from Berks; five from
Northampton; nine from York; ten from Cumberland; three from Bedford;
five from Northumberland, and two from Westmoreland; a total of 107 of
the most representative and patriotic citizens to be found in the
Province.
The conference at once unanimously resolved: “That the present
government of this Province is not competent to the exigencies of our
affairs, and
“That it is necessary that a Provincial Convention be called by this
Conference for the purpose of forming a new government in the Province
on the authority of the people only.”
Preparations were taken immediately to secure a proper representation in
the convention. The qualifications of an elector were defined. Every
voter was obliged to take an oath of renunciation of the authority of
George the Third, and one of allegiance to the State of Pennsylvania,
and a religious test as prescribed for the members of the convention.
The following declaration was signed by all the deputies on June 24, and
presented to Congress:
“We, the deputies of the people of Pennsylvania, assembled in full
Provincial Conference, for forming a plan for executing the resolve of
Congress of the 15th day of May last, for suppressing all authority in
this Province derived from the Crown of Great Britain, and for
establishing a Government upon the authority of the people only, now in
this public manner, in behalf of ourselves, and with the approbation,
consent and authority of our constituents, unanimously declare our
willingness to concur in a vote of the Congress, declaring the United
Colonies free and independent States:
“Provided, The forming the government and the regulation of internal
police of this Colony be always reserved to the people of the said
Colony; and we further call upon the nations of Europe, and appeal to
the Great Arbiter and Governor of the empires of the world, to witness
for us, that this declaration did not originate in ambition or in an
impatience of lawful authority, but that we were driven to it in
obedience to the first principle of nature by the oppressions and
cruelties of the aforesaid King and Parliament of Great Britain, as the
only possible measure that was left us to preserve and establish our
liberties, and to transmit them inviolate to posterity.”
The Conference prepared an address to the Associators of Pennsylvania,
which was adopted unanimously. This address issued particular
instructions to associators to exercise great care in the election of
delegates, charging them to select only the best men and to eschew all
such as were in the proprietary interest.
It is obvious that the adoption of the Declaration of Independence was
assumed as a fixed fact, for they expressed much greater anxiety in
regard to the complexion of the Constitutional Convention of
Pennsylvania, which was to meet in Philadelphia July 15.
After the adjournment of the Conference, on June 25, a dinner was given
to the members at the Indian Queen Tavern, on Fourth Street. The toasts
were drunk to “The Congress,” “The Free and Independent States of
America,” “Washington,” “The Army and Navy,” “A Wise and Patriotic
Convention to Pennsylvania on the 15th of July,” “Lasting dependence to
the enemies of independence,” etc.
Pennsylvania was truly on the brink of a crisis, and Congress was face
to face with the question of independence and the expediency of an
immediate declaration of it and the instant severing of all ties binding
the united colonies to the mother country.
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Massacre at Indian Town of Standing Stone
on June 19, 1777
As an Indian post of ancient date, few are better known than Standing
Stone, the present site of the beautiful borough of Huntingdon, on the
Juniata. It was here where two of the great Indian paths crossed, one
leading on to Kittanning and the west, the other to Bedford and the
Potomac. The earliest maps of which we have any record indicate that an
important Indian village was situated at this point.
Standing Stone was known to the Indians by the name of Achsinnink,
meaning original stone. The word alludes to a large rock, standing
separate and where there is no other rock.
Conrad Weiser has left us the oldest record of Standing Stone, August
18, 1748, then seemingly already a well-known name of the place.
John Harris, in 1753, wrote of Standing Stone as “about fourteen feet
high and six inches square.” It stood on the right bank of Stone Creek,
near its mouth, and in such a position as to enable persons to see it at
considerable distance, either up or down the river.
The Reverend Philip Fithian, in 1755, says it was “a tall stone column
or pillar nearly square and seven feet above the ground.”
There have been conflicting opinions whether any of this original
Standing Stone still exists or not, some holding to the belief that it
was used not only as a finger board at the crossing of the great Indian
paths, but also contained the official record of the tribe.
There is no doubt that the stone was carved with names and Indian
characters, which depicted important epochs in the tribe’s history, its
wars, mighty deeds, its prowess in battle, and, perhaps, its skill in
the chase. It also is quite possible that the stone was a sacred tablet
to the memory of one or more noble chiefs who fell in battle. The stone
contained many hieroglyphics and each may have told a story in the
Indian language.
This stone was once the cause of a war, when the Tuscarora tribe, living
about thirty or forty miles below on the river, declared war on the
tribe at Standing Stone for some real or fancied insult, and for this
purpose sent them repeated messages which the Standing Stone Indians
failed to heed. The Tuscarora awaited a time when their enemy warriors
were on a hunt, when they fell on the village with a great force,
driving away those who were at home, and carried the stone away. Upon
the return of the hunters the entire war force was immediately sent
after their enemy, who were soon overtaken, when a bloody conflict
ensued, and the stone was recaptured and carried back in triumph.
It seems to be an undisputed fact that the original stone was removed by
the Indians and carried away by them about 1755, at the time the Indians
in that valley joined the French.
A few white settlers seated themselves at Standing Stone in 1762 and
began the erection of a stockade fort, but in the following spring were
forced to abandon it, as well as their houses and other improvements,
and fly to Carlisle for protection from the Indians.
Standing Stone was laid out as a town in 1767 by the Reverend William
Smith, D. D., the proprietor at that time and for many years afterward
provost of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Smith called the town
Huntingdon, in honor of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, in England, a
lady of remarkable liberality and piety, who, at the solicitation of Dr.
Smith, had made a handsome donation to the funds of the University.
The old name Standing Stone, however, clung to the place for many years.
Nearly all the traders and military officers of the eighteenth century
used the old name, and it is marked Standing Stone on the Lewis Evans
map of 1755 and 1770; it is “Standing Stone, Huntingdon,” on the Powell
map of 1776.
On the second stone erected at this place were found the names of John
and Charles Lukens, Thomas Smith and a number of others, with dates
varying from 1768 to 1770, cut or chiseled in the stone. This stone
seems to have been erected by one or other of the men whose names it
bore, on the same spot where the original stone stood. This stone was
subsequently removed to a spot near the present court house in
Huntingdon and forms the most valuable and interesting historic relic in
the Juniata county seat.
The only massacre to take place at Standing Stone occurred June 19,
1777, at what was known as Big Spring, several miles west of the fort.
The Indians had infested the plantations and the inhabitants fled to the
fort. Felix Donnelly and his son, Francis, and Bartholomew Maguire and
his daughter, residing near the mouth of Shaver’s Creek, placed their
effects upon horses and, with a cow, started for the fort.
Jane Maguire was driving the cow ahead of the party, the Donnellys and
Maguire bringing up the rear on the horses. When nearly opposite the Big
Spring, an Indian fired from ambuscade and killed young Donnelly. His
father, who was close to him, caught him as he was falling from his
horse. Maguire rode to his side and the two men held the dead body of
Francis upon the horse.
The Indians rushed from their hiding place with terrific yells, and
fired a volley at the party, one bullet struck Felix Donnelly, and
another grazed Maguire’s ear. Donnelly fell to the ground as did the
body of his dead son. The Indians rushed forward, scalped Francis and
followed Jane, who succeeded in escaping, but not until she lost her
dress when an Indian attempted to make her captive.
Some men on the opposite bank of the stream, hearing the Indian yells
and shooting, rushed to the scene. The Indians, not knowing their
strength, disappeared in the woods. Maguire and his daughter reached the
fort and alarmed the garrison, which started in hot pursuit of the
savages but did not overtake them. The dead body of Francis Donnelly was
buried in a vacant spot which now is a garden in the heart of the
borough of Huntingdon.
Among those who figured in the thrilling drama about Standing Stone were
the Bradys, who later moved to the West Branch of the Susquehanna;
Colonel Fee, who gained renown in Captain Blair’s expedition against the
Tories, and the Cryder family, consisting of father, mother and seven
sons, every one a hero.
At the organization of the new county in 1787, it took the name of
Huntingdon, and Standing Stone became even more only a historic memory.
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Moravians Dedicate First Church West of
Alleghenies June 20, 1771
The first church building dedicated to the worship of God west of the
Allegheny Mountains was the chapel built by Reverend David Zeisberger,
at Friedenstadt, on the Big Beaver, in now Beaver County, Pennsylvania.