History of the Early Settlement of the Juniata Valley: Embracing an Account of the Early Pioneers, and the Trials and Privations Incident to the Settlement of the Valley, Predatory Incursions, Massacres, and Abductions by the Indians During the French and Indian Wars, and the War of the Revolution, &c.Jones, U. J. (Uriah James)
History
History of the Early Settlement of the Juniata Valley: Embracing an Account of the Early Pioneers, and the Trials and Privations Incident to the Settlement of the Valley, Predatory Incursions, Massacres, and Abductions by the Indians During the French and Indian Wars, and the War of the Revolution, &c.
Jones, U. J. (Uriah James)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Pennsylvania -- Juniata River Valley; Indians of North America -- Pennsylvania -- Juniata River Valley; Juniata River Valley (Pa.) -- Genealogy; Juniata River Valley (Pa.) -- History
During the French and Indian war, and at its close, many of the Indians
returned, and lived for some years in the valley unmolested. But in
1761-62 the footprints of the white man were seen in their paths, and
civilization began to crowd them. The white adventurers crowded so
thick upon them, that, after the war of 1764, the greater portion of
them left; nor did they return again until 1777, when they appeared as
allies to the British crown, to massacre and scalp the unprotected
frontier-men. To stimulate them to this inhuman warfare, the British
not only impressed it upon them that they were redressing grievances,
but they actually paid them a stipulated price for every scalp, of
child as well as adult, brought to the Canadian frontier.
The Indians who figured in the predatory incursions from 1776 to 1781
were probably Delawares, Monseys, Nanticokes, Shawnees, and Tuscaroras;
but they were then only known as Delawares, all other titles having
been merged into that of the most powerful tribe. That these tribes
were the ones who committed most of the depredations, we judge from the
fact that the elder chiefs and captains emigrated to the Canadian
frontier from the Juniata Valley, and consequently knew every foot of
the valley, from the base of the Alleghany Mountains to the very mouth
of the river.
CHAPTER II.
HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS.
It appears from all authentic evidence that white traders ventured into
the valley as early as 1740, but always left again after transacting
their business. It was about the year 1741 that bold and daring men
pushed into the valley with the evident determination of making it
their home. They were nearly all Scotch-Irish,--a hardy race of devout
Christians, whose ancestors had been persecuted in the north of
Scotland, by Charles I., and driven to the north of Ireland, and who,
fearful of the provisions of the Schism Bill, in their turn fled from
Ireland to America, between the years 1714 and 1720. The first of them
located near or about the line (then in dispute) between Maryland and
Pennsylvania. Logan, the secretary of the province, who was probably an
adherent to the religion professed by the proprietors, was very much
annoyed at the Scotch-Irish assumption and maintenance of "squatter's
rights." In a letter to the Provincial Government, in 1724, he said,
"They (the Scotch-Irish and Scotch) have generally taken up the western
lands; and as they rarely approach me to propose to purchase, I look
upon them as bold and indigent strangers, giving as their excuse, when
challenged for titles, that we had solicited for colonists, and they
had come accordingly."
Notwithstanding this, they were not molested, for they were exempted
from the payment of rents by an ordinance passed in 1720, in
consequence of their being frontier-men, and forming a cordon of
defence to the colony.
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