Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-06-07
TALES & SKETCHES.
From the New York Argus
THE FORKS OF THE sUSQUEHANNA.


hardy settlers flocked for cheap land, the
pleasure of the chase and fishing rod.
Within its borders occurred some of the
most terrible and bloody battles in which
the white and the red man contended for
life and subsistence. Fierce and protracted
were the struggles; and we find marks of
them, not only on their very sites, but the
Indians have indelibly stamped their own
nomenclature upon the streams, the noun
tains, the passes and the valleys; and it
should ever be source of qualification that
our noble and majestic rivers were permitted
to retain their beautiful aboriginal names,
instead of being be Rhincd and be Rhoned
and be Tibered from the Old World.
Born within the forks of the Susquehanna,
on the very bank and directly at the mouth
of one of its most romantic tributaries, with
the tempest roar and sunny sparkle of both
streams the most familiar sounds and sights
of my childhood, and the peculiar sweet
sounding Indian name of both in my young
cars, it is no wonder that the region watered
by "thc rivers of the winding Shore" should
be to me the lovciest spot of earth and from
which God grant that war, pesticncc and
famine he ever absent. And there is no
valley in the world which, for beauty of
scenery, fertility Of soil, salubrity of climate
of its hills, the moral health, hospitality and
intelligence of its nhabitants-surpasses
that lying in the forks Of the Susquehanna,
in the good old commonwealth Of Pennsyl-
vania.
But it not only for the things mentioned
that this valley is celebrated. Its historical
associations and rccollections are fully wor-
thy of its high character in other respects.
Within that territory lies the beautiful valley
of Wyoming, the plain tale of the massacre
of whose citizens brings tears to the eyes of
the most careless reader, and whose charms
and horrors. have been painted, but not
heightened by the magic pen of Campbell.
Here, too, the celebrated Van Campcn fol
lowed the trail of the lndigns, or suffered as
a prisoner i'll their cruel hands, a narrative
of whose adventures, some of them occurring
almost in sight of where | write, would be
more exciting than a romance. In this
charmed region, Captain Sam. Brady per-
formed many of his famous exploits, and
made his hairbreadth escapes and number
less places arc pointed out as the spots where
the white and the rcd man met in deadly con-
flict.
The celebrated Montour family, which has
left its name indclibly on one of our most
beautiful mountains, lived acted and died,
and are believed to be buried in the valleys
of the Susquehanna. Here dwclt the Lcni
Lenapc, "the original people," and the
council fires of Tamedend, their most illus
trious chieitain, were kindlcd in his forests.
For many years annually on the first of May,
throughout Pennsylvania, his festival was
celebrated. In Philadelphia, the members
of the "Tammanyn society walked the
streets in procession, their hats decorated
with bucks tails, and upon reaching the
wigwam, had talk, smoked the 'pcace
pipe,n and performed Indian dances.
The valley must have been very thickly
populated, for many remains OF Indian towns
are pointed out. Very extensive burial
grounds are also known TO exist at several
places within the forks. CuriositicS of vaTi-
Gus kinds-mounds, excavations and fortiti-
cations of undoubted Indian workmanship
are found in large numbers. Through this
valley ran some of the most important and
frcquently-travelcd 'war paths" known in
the history of the race. Shall trace them
out for you by existing roads and Villages
The writer has been over most of them, and
you can put your finger on the paths" on
almost any map.
"Thc Shamokin Path" began at the place
now known as Sunbury, and continued up
the West Branch by the mouth of Warrior
Run and an Indian town there located
thence through the gap in the Muncy hills
to the town OF Muncy, where the public road
| now passes.
"The Wyoming Path" left Muncy on the
West Branch, ran up Glade run, then through
gap in the hills to Fishing creek, which
empties into the North Branch at Blooms
burg, twenty miles above the junction
crossed the creek, passed into (now) Luzerne
| ~ Il la
North Branch to Wyoming.
"The Wyalusing Path" was traced up the
Muncy creek to its head, then crossed Loyal
Sock creek, near where the Berwick turn
pike crossed, then to Dushore thence to
| Wyalusing creek and to the flats above.
"The Sheshequin Path" ran up Bouser's
run, thence to Lycoming creek, near the
mouth of Mill creek, thence up Lycoming to
the Beaver Dams, thence down Towards
creek to the Sheshequin flats.
"The Fishing creek Path" started on the
flats near Bloomsbury, on the North Branch
up fishing creek tosnear Long Pond, thence
across to Tunkhannock creek. 1t was on
this very path that Van Camper, the most
prominent Indian fighter on the North
Branch, was captured, and within three
miles of where write.
Several other less important paths led into
those great throughfares, and are well known
in their ncighborhoods.
What an interesting story would be that
of the country lying in the forks of the Sus,
quehanna Every creek and mountain pass
has its history and with that history you
generally find associated the Indian name
Where will you find SO many names, some
what corrupted, perhaps, but still easily
traceable to their Indian origin. as here
Hark to the music of few of them: w,
have Wyalusing, Tunkhannock, Lackawanna
Wyoming, Nanticoke, Cattawissa, Mahoning
Shamokin, Chillisquaque, Muncy, Loya
Sock, Lycoming, Towanda, Kittanning
Sheshequin, and many others T:
The Indians seem TO have called what il
now Towanda, "Awandae !" and perhaps
what is now known as Pine Crees a LITTLE
easier of pronounciation that the aborigina
"Tiadaghton." So, also, what is now know
as Muncy Creek was, in the native dialect
"Occohpocheny, and by some of the tribe
was called "Longesermgo." The NAM
Muncy was doubtless given by the whites a
easier of pronunciation, or because tn
tribes inhabiting the region were called th'
"Monseys," or Wolf tribes.
Lycoming was, in Indian, "Looomick !;
and "Stonehange" is by some given as tn
lTndian mama of IoVal Sock II as well Al