The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-08-18
Border Scenes On the Susgue-
hanna,


Harris from being burnt alive by the In
dians, on the spot where Harrisburg, the
seat of government of Pennsylvania, has
been since built. That publication has
been the means of bringing to light sever
al interesting incidents connected with
Harris and his wife, one of those pioneer
mothers in whom the dangers and ext
gencies of frontier life, develope the
highest degree of daring, compatible with
exercise of that sound Judgment which is
of yet greater Importance in that sphere
of existence.
Harris, as had been stated in the mar
rative referred to, was a trader among
two or three savage tribes, whose head
| quarters seem to have extended along
the west branch of the Susquehanna, even
in this day of improvement embracing
some of the widest mountain and river
scenery in the United States. The wolf
and the fox still dispute possession Of ex-
tensiye tracts in this region with the set
tier, and even the panther and the bear
are occasionally tracked to, and shot in
their retreats, by the hardy mountaineers,
who vary the tolls of husbandry with re-
laxations-as they deem it-of the chase,
rendered here, by the character of the
country, the most arduous species OF 1t
in the world. One of these tribes, be-
lieved to be the Muncies, an off-sboot Of
the Delawares, had built their wigwams
and settled their families, at the junction
of the west and north branches of the
Susquehanna, on the site of the present
village of Northumberland. The towns
of the others receeded farther into the
wilds along the west branch.
1t will be recollected that chain of
posts was established during the provin-
cial government of Pennsylvania, pIoba
| bly, in 1856, by Gov Forbes, extending
from Philadelphia to Fort Pitt, now
Pittsburg. One of these was where Har-
ris resided, who occupied trading house,
and had rendered himself acceptable to
the Indians, who found it a great conve-
nience to trade their peltries for powder,
lead, and such other things as they need
ed, in their own neighborhood. Here he
had brought plow, the first ever seen on
the banks Of the Susquehanna, with other
implements Of husbandry, and made a
little clearing sufficient for a kitchen gar
den, and here was born John Harris, the
founder of Harrisburg, believed to be the
only individual ever existing, that laid
out town at his birth place, and who, as
the first child of white parents, received
from that circumstance, grant of four
hundred acres of land, offered as prem
ium by the proprietors, for the settlement
west of the then frontier parts of Eas-
tern Pennsylyania-Berks and Lancaster
counties.
/ After Braddock's defeat, one of the
British officers, on bis way to Philadel-
phia, called at Harris station, for the
purpose of staying all night. Through
the neglect of the person whose duty it
was to attend to closing the port holes at
sundown, they had been on that day left
open. The officer was engaged in con-
versation with Mrs. Harris, with his back
to the port holes, and she facing them
In this position, and looking over his
shoulder, she heard the click and saw the
fash of rife. Without any ezclama-
ton Of surprise, or saying anything to
interrupt his discourse, she leaned to one
side where the candle stood, and blew il
out. The next day the officer fell in
with an old Indian chief ard his attend
ant, who acknowledge to him that he
had aimed at his life, but the weather
being drizzling, his powder had got wet
and the piece hung fire; and he was un,
willing to repeat his fire after the candle
was extinguished, for fear of iDjurine
Mrs Harris.
At a somewhat later date, when Penn.
: sylvanians had extended themselves ives
of the Donegal settlement, in LancasteI
county, and had formed settlement OIL
Paxton Creek, the Indians began to en-
tertain great apprehensions of being final
ly expelled from the country, and con
! verted measures, with thsir usual secrecy
. for the extirpation Of the whites. Havin,
ascertained that they collected once
week for religious worship, they mad
their arrangements to attack Paxtol
meeting house, and cut off all the inhab
itants at a single blow. They rendez
!, yoused in considerable numbers at spo
J west of the Blue Mountains, and pouret
!, in on the settlement thorugh Mo'ldG GAP
about fourteen miles from the Susquehan
: ma, with such celercity and secrecy as t
station themselves in the thicket aronn
the meeting house, without the least sus
picion having been formed by the settler
of any sinister designs. They had, how
ever, missed one day in their reckoning
and taken Saturday in place of the Sab
bath, for their ambuscade. As the usus
: hour passed without any of the white
making their appearance, the Indians be
gan to suspect that they had in som
way OF other been put on their guart
E and fearing injury to themselves, the
! broke up and made their way home witt
out loss of time, and as quickly and s.
cretly as they had found their way int
the settlement. The nextsday the nun
Der and character of the tracks aronn'