Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-09-15

fall Of 1851. Thther then again Gist re-
pairs. but the treaty failed. 1t is probable
that this time also he came by the Ptnusylva-
mia trail as it was well known and had supe-
ror accommodations. The promise ola trea-
ty was renewed for the following June 1852. J
1t now grew to he an affair of Importance and
Virginia, the vlceSerent of the British sway
in America, was there by three Commission
ers. But the ma ,ter-spirit of the negotiations
was Gist. The object was to procure con-
frmaton of the Lancaster giant Of 1774
but it WAS only half given, and the Plenipo-
tentarics contcnted themselves with prom
ise by the Logstown chiefs not to modest any
settlement southeast Of the Ohio Iereupon
Gist locates the Company's fort at the mouth
OF Charters. 1t vas never built.
Governor Dinwidde now welded the sccp-
trs of George II. in Virginia; and made great
show OF care for his Maesty's "dominion"
west of the Alleghenies-a dominion" which
being wholly ideal exacted from him more
noisy vigilance. The interest Of the "Ohio
Company"-of which he had become a mem
ber-save fuel to the fire of his loyalty, and
it blazed up with great intensity. The French
"encroachments" became known at Lonuon
l1hereupon an order issued to the Governors
of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania to
repcl force by force This was in the autumn
of 1862. Events, however, stood still, willie
the storm cloud gathered. In the meantime
the French began their line Of Forts at Pres
que Isle. and were progressing by way Of Le
Bnuf and Nenango, towards the key of the
west, at the head of the Ohio. The intru-
sions were all within the charter limits of
Pennsylvania; but she did not know it. Her
Governor and some Of his councillors seemed
to think the territory theirs, and in this they
were seconded by the traders. But the great
mass Of the people were indifferent. SO they
were in Maryland, and even in Virginia.
Her assembly even questioned His Maicsty's
rights in the West. The Penn assembly ut
tery refused to interfere and Dinwiddie was
left to fight the battles of his King and Com
pany without aid from any other Colony
But before we 90 into the war, we must trace
the roads over which the Combatants We're to
march their forces. We must connect the
mouth of Wills Creek with the head of the
Ohio.
In long by-gone days, amid the interlocll-
ing branches of sycamores, on the bank Of
the Monongahela, were is now bridgeport,
, Nenacolin, Il Delaware chief, reared his bark
hut, and moored his canoe in the cove Of the
, creek which then bore his name; and by that
name should Dunlap's creek still be called -
He had carried his beaver and buck skins a.
cross these mountains and knew his path
He was the very man whom the Ohio Com
'pany needed. In 1850 .hey procured his SER
vices, and in that year. he, under the super
Iintentence of Col. Thomas Cresap, of Oldtown
hlazed the path from Wills Creek to the Ohio
This was the origiua, tracing Of that great
highway, now the Nation Cumberland Road,
with which, until about within two miles Of
the top of Laurel Hill it is nearly identical
} Col. Cresap was said to be member of the
Ohio Company. He had been the sturdy
champion of Maryland in the border feud
concerning Mason and Dickson's Line, west of
} the Susquehanna. He was the father of Capt.
Michael Crcsap, OF Logan's speech celebrity,
who built the first shinglc rooted house where
Brownsville now is, and VINO died in the SER
vice Of his country in the first year of our
Revolutionary War.
This pathway thus traced, passes in sight
of where we now stand, and gave to Gist's its
subsequent prominence We have not time
to-day to go over it. Early in 1853 the o.
hio Company procured it to be well marked
and cleared of bushes and fallen timber so rs
to make it Il good pack horse path. 1t was
designed TO be the great highway Of trade
from the Northwest to the South but was
destined soon to far different uses.
BY this route in 1852 doubtless came Gist
and the Virginia Commissioners to the Logs
town Treaty; and on his return therefrom,
believing that success was going to attend the
Company's scheme, he selected yonder slope
Southeast of the Mount Braddock Mansion
as his future residence. 1t was princely site,
and would be convenient station for the
Company.
You are all familiar with Maj Washington's
embassy across these mountains from Virginia
to the French posts on the Allegheny, in the
winter Of 1753-'54. | will not weary you
with its rehearsal He Travelled by Nemaco-
Inns path, now become the Ohio Company's
road, and Gist was his guide and companion
out from Wills Creek and back again to his
3lace. Here he stopped to look after the well
fare of his infant settlement. The French
had refused to heed the warning OF Dnwiddic,
and war was inevitable. But it may be that
Gist had such confidence in the power of HIS
Maiesty's arms as to lorebode no i'll to his
plantation. How sad his disappointment.
Washington records in his journal of this
fruitless embassy that on his outward trip in
November, 1853, he passed by "Mr. Gists
new settlement" And on his return in Jan
! llrN. liD1, lie SAYS Hc lcTc DDU1lI IL HOISc
and saddle. lie further states that while re-
crossing the mountains to Wills Creek, he
"met seventeen horses loaded with stores and
materials for Fort at the Ohio. tPittsburg)
and the day after, some families going out to
settle" The intended iolt was that for the
Ohio Company; its site having been wisely
changed and the families were doubtless
some of those whom Gist had induced to join
Al
have no certain knowledge. We have clear
evidence that among these settlers, wore VIM.
Cromwell, son-in-law of Gst and Stewart
famiy--father and three sons--who gave
name to "Stewart's Crossings" by which
what is now Connellsvlle was formerly
known Among Washington's ''servitors" in
1854 was Henry Stewart. Among these
settlers it is probable also, were Jacob Prichet
and father; and among the prisoners at Fort
DuquesEe, in July 1854, were ''taken to Gist's
by an Indian named English John-Lowrey's
traders, Andrew McBrar, Nehemiah Ste
liams" good Scotch Irish names: but wheth-
er they can be further traced know not
All honor their memory.
! Here, then, upon these hills and rallies, is
the first permanently connected Angio Sar-
on SeuteWeW ecT Mdde TeSt q Ue Hteyhd"y
mountains. | have in my hand copy of n
map of this reign of country, t'western parts
of the Colony of Virginia'l published in Lon
don in June, 1854. copied it from the
London Magazins of that date. 1t was per-
haps drawn by Washington himself, aud is
evidently made up, in great part, from his
Journal already cited. Although very erro-
neous in many respects, its testimony is de-
cisive, that .'Gist's settlement" distinctly
marked upon it, had an existence in Novem-
ber, 1853, when as yet Pittsburs was not.
Its birth, as an occupied site, is in April,
1854. In November, 1853 its streets and
squares was a considerable bottom of fiat,
well tinlbered land, very convenient for bull
ding" So says Washington. But it was