Cities and towns -- Middle Atlantic States; Middle Atlantic States -- History
The new fort being found too small, General Stanwix built a second Fort
Pitt, much larger and stronger, designed for a garrison of one thousand
men. The Indians viewed the newcomers with suspicion, but Colonel Henry
Bouquet assured them, with diplomatic tergiversation, that, “We have not
come here to take possession of your country in a hostile manner, as the
French did when they came among you, but to open a large and extensive
trade with you and all other nations of Indians to the westward.” A
redoubt (the “Block-House”) built by Colonel Bouquet in 1764 still
stands, in a very good state of preservation, being cared for by the
Daughters of the American Revolution. The protection of the garrison
naturally attracted a few traders, merchants and pioneers to Pittsburgh,
and a permanent population began to grow.
But the indigenous race continued to resent the extension of white
encroachment; and they formed a secret confederacy under Pontiac, the
renowned Ottawa chief, who planned a simultaneous attack on all the white
frontier posts. This uprising was attended by atrocious cruelties at many
of the points attacked, but we may take note here of the movement only as
it affected Pittsburgh. At the grand council held by the tribes, a bundle
of sticks had been given to every tribe, each bundle containing as many
sticks as there were days intervening before the deadly assault should
begin. One stick was to be drawn from the bundle every day until but one
remained, which was to signal the outbreak for that day. This was the
best calendar the barbarian could devise. At Pittsburgh, a Delaware squaw
who was friendly to the whites had stealthily taken out three of the
sticks, thus precipitating the attack on Fort Pitt three days in advance
of the time appointed.
[Illustration: PLAN OF FORT PITT.]
The last stick was reached on June 22, 1763, and the Delawares and
Shawanese began the assault in the afternoon, under Simon Ecuyer. The
people of Pittsburgh took shelter in the fort, and held out while waiting
for reinforcements. Colonel Bouquet hurried forward a force of five
hundred men, but they were intercepted at Bushy Run, where a bloody
battle was fought. Bouquet had fifty men killed and sixty wounded, but
inflicted a much greater loss on his savage foes, and gained the fort,
relieving the siege. As soon as Bouquet could recruit his command, he
moved down the Ohio, attacked the Indians, liberated some of their
prisoners and taught the red men to respect the power that controlled at
Pittsburgh.
In 1768 the Indians ceded their lands about Pittsburgh to the Colonies,
and civilization was then free to spread over them. In 1774 a land office
was opened in Pittsburgh by Governor Dunmore, and land-warrants were
granted on payment of two shillings and sixpence purchase money, at the
rate of ten pounds per one hundred acres.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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