The Journal of Lieut. John L. Hardenbergh of the Second New York Continental Part 5

[40] Lieutenant Charles F. Weissenfels of 3d company, 2nd regiment, served during the war.

[41] On the 21st of July, General Sullivan writes to Congress from Easton, after complaining of the delays of the quarter-master and commissary departments in forwarding supplies, he speaks as follows in regard to the quality: * * * "My duty to the public, and regard to my own reputation, compel me to state the reasons why this army has been so long delayed here, without advancing into the enemy's country. * *

* The inspector is now on the ground, by order of the Board of War, inspecting the provisions; and his regard to the truth must oblige him on his return to report that, of the salted meat on hand, there is not a single pound fit to be eaten, even at this day, though every measure has been taken to preserve it that possibly could be devised. * * *

About one hundred and fifty cattle sent to Sunbury were left there, being too poor to walk, and many of them unable to stand."

[42] LIEUT. JAMES FAIRLIE, of Capt. Fowler's company, 2nd regiment, after the consolidation of the five New York regiments in 1780. He drew military lots Nos. seventy-three Cato, and sixty-five Brutus.

[43] SHADES OF DEATH, supposed by many to have derived the name from the sufferings of those who escaped from the ma.s.sacre of Wyoming, but this is evidently an error, as the name was attached to the locality and appeared on the maps, long previous to 1778.

[44] WYOMING.

"_On Susquehanna's side, fair Wyoming!

Delightful Wyoming!_"--CAMPBELL.

The Delaware name given to a valley on the Susquehanna river, of three to four miles in width, by about sixteen in length, extending from the mountain range above the Lackawana, where the river wends its way through a gorge a thousand feet deep, south-westerly to where the river again finds its way through a range equally lofty and precipitous. This was the SCHAHENTOA or SCHAHEN-DOWANE of the Iroquois, signifying _great plains_, as does also the Delaware name of Wyoming. From its earliest known history, this valley has been a favorite place of Indian residence, and was the probable seat of an Iroquois tribe, called SCHAHENTOAR-RONONS by Brebeuf in 1635, whom he describes as allies of the Hurons, and speaking their language. In 1614, three Dutchmen in the employ of the Directors of New Netherland, accompanied a party of Mahican Indians from near Fort Orange, in a war expedition against the CARANTOUANNAIS, a powerful Iroquois tribe, whose main village containing more than eight hundred warriors, was located on the so-called "Spanish Hill" near Waverly, N.Y. These Dutchmen were captured by the Carantouannais, and were the first white men these Indians had ever seen; believing them to be French, who were allies of their friends the Hurons, they treated them kindly, and conducted them down the Susquehanna to this point, and thence by way of the Lehigh river, to the Delaware, where they were ransomed by Capt. Hendricksen, "giving for them kittles, beads and merchandise."

In the map made by the Captain from information furnished by these Dutchmen, he indicated four towns on the west side of the river, at this point, and designated the tribe as MINQUAS, this being the general name applied by the Dutch to all the Iroquois tribes south of the Five Nations, and west of New Netherland, several of which are known to have been in existence at that early date, but which appear to have been entirely overlooked by the scholars of the country.

[45] JACOB'S PLAINS.--A plateau on the east side of the river, above present Wilkesbarre in the town of Plains. Abraham's Plains are on the west side of the river. "June 17.--Decamped at 10 o'clock. The three regiments marched up to Jacob's Plains, encamped near the bank of the river on the east sh.o.r.e, about four miles above the garrison."--_Nathaniel Webb's Journal._

[46] "July 20.--Three hundred boats arrived with provisions from Sunbury.

July 21.--Eight hundred head of cattle, five hundred horses, five hundred wagons arrived.

July 24.--Two hundred boats arrived, with stores, at which time thirty cannon were fired from the park."--_Nathaniel Webb's Journal._

[47] FORT JENKINS,--near Centreville, Columbia County, half way between Wyoming and Sunbury, built in 1777. There was another Fort Jenkins on the west side of the river a mile above Fort Wintermoot, built in 1776 under the supervision of the Jenkins and Harding families. This was captured and destroyed in 1778 in the Wyoming ma.s.sacre.

[48] NORTHUMBERLAND,--at the junction of the west, and main branches of the Susquehanna, above Sunbury, sixty-five miles from Wilkesbarre.

[49] During the absence of Lieut. Hardenbergh down the river a party visited the battleground. "The place where the battle was fought may with propriety be called 'a place of skulls,' as the bodies of the slain were not buried, their bones were scattered in every direction all around; a great number of which for a few days past having been picked up, were decently interred by our people. We pa.s.sed a grave where seventy-five skeletons were buried; also a spot where fourteen wretched creatures, who, having surrendered upon being promised mercy, were nevertheless made immediately to sit down in a ring, and after the savages had worked themselves up to the extreme of fury in their usual manner, by dancing, singing, halloaing, &c., they proceeded deliberately to tomahawk the poor fellows one after another. Fifteen surrendered and composed the ring; upon the Indians beginning their work of cruelty, one of them providentially escaped, who reported the matter to Col. Butler, who upon his return to Wyoming, went to the spot and found the bones of the fourteen lying as human bodies in an exact circle."--_Rev. William Rogers' Journal._

[50] NESCOPEC FALLS--at present Nescopec in County of Luzerne.

[51] "WYOMING is situated on the east side of the east branch of the Susquehanna, the town consisting of about seventy houses, chiefly log buildings; besides these buildings there are sundry larger ones which were erected by the army for the purpose of receiving stores, &c., a large bake and smoke houses. There is likewise a small fort erected in the town, with a strong abbata around it, and a small redoubt to shelter the inhabitants in case of an alarm. This fort is garrisoned by 100 men, draughted from the western army, and put under the command of Col. Zebulon Butler. I cannot omit taking notice of the poor inhabitants of the town; two thirds of them are widows and orphans, who, by the vile hands of the savages, have not only deprived them of tender husbands, some indulgent parents, and others of affectionate friends and acquaintances, besides robbed and plundered of all their furniture and clothing. In short, they are left totally dependent on the public, and are become absolute objects of charity."--_Hubley's Journal._

[52] The army when concentrated at Wyoming was organized as follows:

New Jersey Brigade, Brig. Gen'l William Maxwell com'd.

1st N.J., Col. Matthias Ogden.

2d, N.J., Col. Israel Shreve.

3d, N.J., Col. Elias Dayton.

5th, N.J., Col. Oliver Spencer's Independent Regiment, also fragments of Forsman's and Sheldon's regiments merged into Spencer's.

New Hamps.h.i.+re Brigade--Brig. Gen'l Enoch Poor, com'd.

1st N.H., Col. Joseph Cilley.

2d N.H., Lieut. Col. George Reid.

3d N.H., Lieut. Col. Henry Dearborn.

2d N.Y., Col. Philip Van Cortlandt.

Brigade of Light Troops, Gen'l Edward Hand, com'd.

11th Pa., Lieut. Col. Adam Hubley.

German Regiment, Maj. Daniel Burkhardt.

Independent Wyoming Company, Capt. Simon Spalding.

Wyoming Militia, Capt. John Franklin.

Schott's Rifle Corps, under Capt. Selin.

[53] FORTY FORT--On the right bank of the Susquehanna between Pittston and Wilkesbarre, built in 1770 by the company of emigrants from Connecticut, forty in number.

[54] GEN. HAND, and other officers were engaged for six weeks in collecting supplies, which General Sullivan expected would be in Wyoming on his arrival. Four hundred and fifty boatmen were enlisted and large parties of soldiers were detailed for this service.

[55] LACKAWANNA RIVER, flowing into the Susquehanna from the north-east, called by the Delawares, _Lechau-Hanneck_, signifying the forks of a river or stream, and by the Iroquois _Hazirok_; an Indian town called Adjouquay existed at an early date on the east side, on present site of Pittston.

[56] FALLING SPRINGS.--A short distance above Campbell's ledge, a beautiful cascade comes rus.h.i.+ng down from the mountain called Falling Springs. It proceeds from several never-failing springs on the summit.

Hubley says, "to attempt a description of it would be almost presumption. Let this short account thereof suffice. The first or upper fall thereof is nearly ninety feet perpendicular, pouring from a solid rock, ushering forth a most beautiful echo, and is received by a cleft of rocks, considerably more projected than the former, from whence it rolls gradually and falls into the Susquehanna."

[57] QUAILUTIMACK, seven miles from Lackawanna, signifying "_we came unawares upon them_." A place between the steep mountain and the river, said to have been the place of an Indian battle. The camp was on a "spot of ground situated on the river open and clear, containing about twelve hundred acres, soil very rich, timber fine, gra.s.s in abundance, and contains several springs."--_Hubley's Journal._

[58] VAN DER LIPPE'S.--Now Black Walnut in the town of Meshoppen, Wyoming County. So called from a tory of that name, who was the first settler, above the Lackawanna, who previous to this time had abandoned the valley, and afterward died in Canada. During this day's march the army pa.s.sed over Indian Hill, where Col. Hartley had a battle with the Indians the previous year.

[59] WYALUSING. At present Wyalusing in Bradford County.--"Pa.s.sing up the river we came to a place called by the Indians Gohontoto. Here they tell us was in early times an Indian town, traces of which are still noticeable, e.g., corn pits, &c., inhabited by a distinct nation (neither Aquinoschioni, i.e., Iroquois, nor Delawares) who spoke a peculiar language and were called TEHOt.i.tACHSAE; against these the Five Nations warred, and rooted them out. The Cayugas for a time held a number of them, but the nation and their language are now exterminated and extinct. This war, said the Indian, fell in the time when the Indians fought in battle with _bows and arrows_ before they had guns and rifles."--_Cammerhoff & Zeisberger's Journal_, 1750. This was also the seat of the Moravian mission of Friedenshtuten, established in 1765, abandoned in 1772. This was about a mile below Wyalusing Creek, on the farms now occupied by G.H. Wells and J.B.

Stafford. Rogers devotes several pages to a description of this town.

[60] NEWTYCHANNING.--This day Col. Proctor destroyed the first Indian town, named Newtychanning, containing about twenty houses, located on the west side of the Susquehanna, on the north side of Sugar Creek near North Towanda. Sullivan says it contained twenty-two houses; Canfield, that it was built the preceding year and contained from fifteen to twenty houses. This was near the site of Oscalui, of a previous date, and the same site called Ogehage, on Captain Hendricksen's map of 1616, and was then one of the towns of the Carantouannais, an Iroquois tribe destroyed or driven out by the Five Nations previous to 1650.

[61] STANDING STONE.--A large and long rock, on the west side of the river, said to have been detached from its bed on the mountain and taking a downward course, displacing all obstacles, took a final leap from the top of the precipice, and landed in a vertical position in the water near the sh.o.r.e, and remains a standing stone. The main army encamped directly opposite this, on Standing Stone flats; Hand's brigade on Wysox creek three miles above.

[62] Sh.e.s.h.eQUIN FLATS.--On site of present Sh.e.s.h.equin in Bradford County, on the opposite side of the river on site of present Ulster, was the Indian village of Sh.e.s.h.equin, six miles below Tioga. Cash's creek divided the town into two parts, the north side being heathen, those on the south Moravian Christians. About 1772 the latter removed six miles north and founded a new town, afterward known as Queen Esther's Town. Sh.e.s.h.equin was destroyed by Col. Hartley in 1778.

[63] TIOGA, the name given by the Iroquois to the wedge of land lying between the Chemung river and north branch of the Susquehanna; from _Teyaogen_, an interval, or anything between two other things [Bruyas, Agniers Racines]. _Teiohogen_, the forks of a river (Gallatin's vocabulary 387). This has from time immemorial been one of the most important strategical points of the country of the Five Nations.

Zeisberger pa.s.sed through here in 1750 and says that "at Tioga or _the gate_, Six Nations Indians were stationed for the purpose of ascertaining the character of all persons who crossed over into their country, and that whoever entered their territory by any other way than through the gate, or by way of the Mohawk, was suspected by them of evil purpose and treated as a spy or enemy." An Indian town of TIOGA near the point, destroyed by Col. Hartley in 1778.

The earliest known account of the place is found in Champlain, who sent out one of his interpreters, named Stephen Brule, in 1615, to arrange with the Carantouannais for a force of five hundred warriors, to co-operate with him in an attack on the Onondaga stronghold, then located on the town of Fenner, Madison Co., N.Y. Brule with a small party of Hurons pa.s.sed through the country of the Five Nations, to the great town of Carantouan, containing more than eight hundred warriors, then located on the so-called Spanish Hill near Waverly. Brule returned to Carantouan after the expedition, and the next year, 1616, went down the Susquehanna to the sea "where he found many nations that are powerful and warlike."

The three Dutchmen mentioned in note 44 pa.s.sed down the Susquehanna Branch and were probably the first white men who ever saw that river; Brule, the first that ever saw the Chemung.

[64] BREAK-NECK HILL.--The army pa.s.sed this day Break-Neck Hill, nearly opposite North Towanda. "This mountain derives its name from the great height of the difficult and narrow pa.s.sage not more than a foot wide, and remarkable precipice which is immediately perpendicular, and not less than one hundred and eighty feet deep. One mis-step must inevitably carry you from top to bottom without the least hope or chance of recovery."--_Hubley's Journal._

"This day marched on the side of a mountain about three hundred feet from the bottom in a narrow path, where if we were to step one foot to our left we would be gone, and on our right the mountain was about four hundred feet high. N.B.--Three cows fell down and broke every bone in their bodies."--_Shute's Journal._

[65] Capt. c.u.mmings of the 3d N.J., Lieut. Jenkins, Capt. Franklin and five others.

[66] CHEMUNG--An Indian town of fifty or sixty houses, occupied in 1779, located on the left bank of the Chemung river, three miles above the present village of Chemung, in Chemung County, destroyed by Gen.

Sullivan Aug. 13th, 1779.

OLD CHEMUNG.--an Indian town partially abandoned in 1779, located on the left bank of the Chemung river, half a mile above the present village of Chemung, in Chemung County. A few houses burned Aug. 13th, 1779.

[67] This night's march was very tedious. The path followed the north bank of the Chemung, pa.s.sing the first narrows, near present Waverly, and the second along the steep hill-sides and precipices west of present Chemung. At these points there was scarcely room for two to walk abreast, and a single mis-step would insure a landing on the rocks a hundred feet below. It was daylight when the troops reached the second narrows, but a dense fog prevailed, under the cover of which they advanced, and found the town abandoned.

[68] CHEMUNG AMBUSCADE.--On the failure to surprise the Indians in their village, General Hand pursued them up the river. About a mile above New Chemung, the trail pa.s.sed obliquely over a hill known locally as the Hog Back, near the present residence of Doctor Everett, about two and a half miles below the monument on Sullivan Hill. Col.