repel the French. A campaign was commenced against fort Duquesne, as named after the surrender. Three hundred men were raised and placed under the command of Col. Fry, with George Washington as Lieutenant Colonel. This regiment marched to a place called the Great Meadows, near the Youghiogheny river. Near this they surprised a party of French and Indians, and the commanding officer, named Jumonville, was killed. The command of an entire regiment, on the death of Fry, devolved upon Washington. The remainder of this regiment having joined him at the Meadows, he pushed forward to preoccupy the fort at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers; but on his march to that point, a superior force of French and Indians met him, who shortly afterwards attacked him in a hastily built stockade, and compelled him after considerable resistance, to capitulate at fort Necessity, which he called his stockade.

Measures had been taken by different missionaries in 1748, and Croghan in 1751, to detach the Indians from French influence, but they had been unavailing. The French were too wily and able as diplomatists, with these simple people. Complaints were also made to the French King on the repeated aggressions of his subjects; but, as it was evident, that he considered Ohio, and all the recent establishments made in that quarter, as within his territories, a rupture was deemed inevitable, and both nations prepared for it. French troops were sent out to Canada, and all the posts in that province, as well as in Louisiana, put in the best possible state of defence. A temporary dissention among the English colonies, rendered it difficult to collect a sufficient force to oppose them for a season. In the meantime the English government had made preparation to repel force by force.

Early in the spring of 1755, General Braddock, arrived with a force from England. He commenced his preparations to repel and subdue the French, but he was defeated.*

*See chapter V.

CHAPTER II.

FIRST OR EARLY SETTLEMENTS WEST OF THE ALLEGHENIES-ON THE HEAD WATERS OF OHIO-IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES-THE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES TO WHICH THEY WERE INCIDENT-DISPUTES, ETC.-MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

Western Pennsylvania was untrodden by the foot of the white man before the year 1700. As early as 1715 and 1720, occasionally a trader would venture west of the Allegheny mountain; and of these the first was James Le Tort, who resided in 1700, east of the Susquehanna, but took up his residence west of it, Le Tort spring, Carlisle, in 1720; Peter Cheaver, John Evans, Henry Devoy, Owen Nicholson, Alex. Magenty, Patrick Burns, George Hutchison, all of Cumberland county; Barnaby Currin, John McQuire, a Mr. Frazier; the latter of whom had at an early day a trading house at Venango; but afterwards, at the Monongahela, at the mouth of Turtle creek-were all traders among the Indians. But no attempt had been made by the whites at settlements, in the region now occupied by the several counties west of the Alleghenies, before 1748, when the Ohio company was formed. (1) This company sent out the undaunted Christopher Gist, in 1750, to explore the country and make report. He, it is said, explored the country "from the South Branch of the Potomac, northward to the heads of Juniata river, crossed the mountains, and reached the Allegheny, by the valley of Kiskiminitas. He crossed the Allegheny about four miles above the forks, where Pittsburg now stands, thence went down the Ohio to some point below Beaver river, and thence over to the Muskingum valley." The first actual settlement made was within the present limits of Fayette county, in 1752, by Mr. Gist himself, on a tract of land, now well known there as Mount Braddock, west of the Youghiogheny river, Mr. Gist induced eleven families to settle around him on lands presumed to be within the Ohio company's grant.

The more southern part of Western Pennsylvania, (Greene, Washington, Fayette, and part of Somerset,) which was supposed to be within the boundaries of Virginia, was visited by adventurers from Maryland, prior to 1754. Among these were Wendel Brown, and his two sons,

David

and Frederick Waltzer, who lived four miles west of Uniontown. Tygart had settled in the valley which still bears his name in northwestern Virginia, several other families came here a few years afterwards. These were the only settlements attempted prior to Braddock's defeat,

and those made immediately afterwards, or prior to 1760, were repeatedly molested-families murdered, cabins burnt, and for a time broken up, alternately abandoned and again occupied.

The treaty of 1762, brought quiet and repose to some extent to the English colonies, and the first settlers on the frontiers returned to their abandoned farms; but they were soon again obliged to leave their homes, and retire for safety to the more densely settled parts. Bouquet prosecuted his campaign with success against the Indians, and in November, 1764, compelled the turbulent and restless Kyashuta to sue for peace, and bury the hatchet on the plains of Muskingum, and finally humbled the Delawares and Shawanese. Soon after the refugee settlers returned to their cabins and clearings, resumed their labors, extended their improvements, and cultivated their lands. From this time forth, the prosperity of Pennsylvania increased rapidly, and the tide of immigration with consequent settlements, rolled westward; though the pioneer settlers were afterwards greatly exposed.

Previous to 1758, Westmoreland was a wilderness trodden by the wild beast, the savage, and like other portions of Western Pennsylvania by an occasional white trader or frontier man. No settlements were attempted prior to this date, when fort Duquesne, afterwards fort Pitt, was abandoned by the French, became an English military post, and formed a nucleus for an English settlement, and two years afterwards (1760) a small town was built near Fort Pitt, which contained nearly two hundred souls; but on the breaking out of the Indian war, in 1763, the inhabitants retired into the fort, and their dwellings were suffered to fall into decay. (1) In 1765 Pittsburg was laid out.

In 1765-'66, settlements were made, at Redstone and Turkey-foot. Among the settlers at Redstone, were Wiseman, Prisser, Linn, Colvin, Vervalson, Tygart, Brown, Rodgers, Swartz, McClean, Martin, Hatton, Waller, Donter, Colburn, De Long, Young, Down, Gudgeon, Sute, Crawford, Peters, Hooter, Conn, Cook, M'Coy, Provence, and others. At Turkey-foot, Dewit, Spencer, Abrahams, Jennings, Cooper, Hickman, Enslow, Pursley, and others, all adventurers; who were notified by the Governor of Pennsylvania to remove, because of the complaints by the Indians in 1768. About the same time some emigrated from Berkley county, Virginia, settled in what is now Fayette county, then claimed by Virginia.

As additional particulars relative to these early settlements we insert at length, the following pencil notes procured at the land office and else

where as data for this early period. Though sparse, they cannot but be interesting, as contrasting the slow progress of settlement in those early times, with the present rapidity.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS.

Capt. Christopher Gist, by order of the Governor of Virginia, in 1752. Richard and Thomas Gist were his neighbors; having made improvements, they applied, April 3d, 1769, for the location of lands adjoining Capt. C. Gist's land.

William Jacob settled at the mouth of Redstone creek, in 1761; but was obliged to remove on account of the Indians in 1763; in 1769 he applied for a location.

1762-James Goudin raised a house at Eleven-mile run.

1762-William Shearer and Henry Shrihack made improvements by order of Col. Bouquet.

1760-A house had been erected at a place called Somerset, five or six miles from Fort Pitt-the house was included in James Burd's application in 1769.

1762-Carper Toup, by permission from Col. Bouquet, improved land four miles from Pittsburg.

Prior to 1769, the following persons had made improvements: Alexander McKee, on the Ohio river, four miles below Fort Pitt, at the mouth of Chartier creek. He had also made improvements opposite Logstown.

1760-Five or six families commenced improvements on a tract of 1500 acres, for which Geo. Croghan applied for a location in 1769: "On the Ohio river, at the mouth of the Two-mile run, up the river to the narrows, including all his improvements, and whereon six families are now living, and have been improving since the year 1760."

Prior to 1769, Aeneas Mackey, by permission of Lieut. Col. John Reid, made improvements at Dirty Camp, on Turtle creek, on the road from Fort Ligonier to Fort Pitt.

John Frazier, John Ormsby, sen., John Ormsby, jr., and Oliver Orms

NOTE.-Among the early settlers of Westmoreland, were Abraham Smith, Randall Mitchell, Samuel Sloan, Simon Eaker, David Marchant, Robert Davison, James Pollock, George Right, Arthur St. Clair, John Murray St. Clair, James Montgomery, John Ramsey.

In Allegheny-John Carrithers, Robert Smith, Walter Denny, John Grier, Joseph Hunter, William Ramsy, John Willson, James Hannah, James Dean, Richard Butler, Robert Newelling, Devereux Smith, John Wilkins, jr., Thos. Bond, jr., Wm. Preston, Robert Harrison, Matthew Grimes, John Frankson, John Crush.

In Fayette-Wm. Crawford, Hugh Crawford, Morgan Morgan, David Haw

by, had made improvements on Turtle creek prior to 1762, by permission from the commanding officer at Fort Pitt.

William Thompson and Robert Thompson, had made improvements at Braddock's field, prior to 1763, by permission from Col. Bouquet. 1769, April 3d—"William Christy applied for a location for three hundred acres, on a place within two miles of Fort Pitt east, for which said Christy had the commanding officer of Fort Pitt's permission to improve thereon for the benefit of travellers. Said tract is commonly called Grant's Hill, on which there is a valuable house and large improvements."

In a measure to illustrate the difficulties and toils of border life, we insert the following extract of a letter from Mr. Croghan to His Excellency, Gen. Gage:

"FORT PITT, 26th May, 1766.

"Major Murray and I have appointed a time when we shall speak to all the Nations* here, and endeavor to remove their dissatisfactions on account of the murders committed on their people, and all other causes of complaints, and flatter myself we shall be able to remove their pres. ent disgust, as I am convinced they have an ardent desire to live in peace with us, from the open and free manner they have made known their causes of complaints. But if some effectual measures are not taken to remove those people settled on Redstone creek, till a boundary can be properly settled as proposed, and the Governors pursue vigorous measures to deter the frontier inhabitants from murdering Indians which pass to and from war against their natural enemies, the consequences may be dreadful, and we involved in all the calamities of another general war."

Among the early settlers was Col. Crawford, the intimate friend of Washington. He settled in the valley of the Youghiogany, on the river, precisely at the place where Braddock's army had crossed. Whether Col. Crawford fixed upon this spot by accident or design, is not known; it is at least certain, that it was a very favorable location. From its then being on the only leading road to this remote region, he was enabled to see all travellers visiting the Indian country; and being himself an intelligent and hospitable man, his house was made the stopping place of the weary pioneer. He was the intimate friend and acquaintance of General Washington, who was frequently an inmate of his humble dwelling, during his frequent visits to this section of the country, for the

*On the 24th, Croghan had a meeting with the Six Nations. Prov. Rec.,