The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-12-08


the part of the whites, in the Indian
wars of the period of which we have
/ just written, was one George CrOghan,
native of ireland, who came to the
colony of Pennsylvania in 1742. He
first located at place on the Susque-
/ hanna river, known as Harris Trading
/ House, but soon removed into Cumber-
land county, making many excursions
! to Path Valley and Aughwick, and fl
nally, bywayof ''the old Bedford trail, !"
extending his travels as far westwardas
/ theOhiO river. Hewas an "Indian ira
der,' that Is, he bartered such goods as
were desired by the Indians, for any ar
| ticle Of theirs useful III civilized life
His long residence among the savages
enabledhin to learn their languageand
gain considerable influence over them.
/ At one time he was suspected by some
/ of the provincial authorities, of being
a spy in the service Of the French, but
there seems to have been no ground
for this suspicion, except that Croghan
/ was an Irishman, and that he might
share the sympathy of many of his
countrymen in wishing success to
/ France. On the contrary his conduct
furnished hundreds of instances, in
which he served the English most faith
/ fully, even at his own expense, making
( presents TO the Indians, in the name of
( the Province, in order to retain their
/ friendship for the colonists. When
/ Braddock marched against Fort Du-
/ quesne, he raised company of thirty
Indians and joined that unfortunate
commander. What part he took in the
/ memorable conflict which resulted so
! disastrously to Braddock, neither histo-
~ nor tradition informs Us; but Gov.
Hamilton writes that he ''never heard
any objections to his conduct in that ca
| paeity" THAT of captain of a company
Of Indians in BraddOck's army. Dur
! ing his traffic with the Indians on the
Ohio river, the French frequently seiz-
: ed and conhscated his goods, and by
| eseadverse chances and hismunifcent
| gifts to the savageS, he was finally re-
duced to bankruptcy. Compelled by
/ his straitened circumstances to abandon
his traders life, he settled at AughWick,
in 1854, where he built a stOckade
/ known i'm Indian annals as "Croghan's
Fort" He was afterwards appointed
a disbursing agent for the provincial
government, to distribute presents a
mong the Indians. In 1916, he was
made deputy agent Of Indian affairs,
by Sir William Johnston. After the
evacuation of Fort Duquesne by the
( French in 1913, he resided in Fort Pitt,
and whilst on an excursion down the
! Ohio, he was captured by the French
and taken to Detroit. After his release
/ he went to New York, where he died.
/ Croghan does not seem to have been
much OF a warrior, but eXcelled rather
/ in the arts Of diplomacy. Could the
rocks on the banks of the Juniata speak,
how many tales of the craft of this
/ dauntless adventurer would not be told,
and what pictures of the Unsophistica-
| ted nature Of the Indian, tickled with
a ring of brass and gratified to ecstasy
with the most valueless trinket, would
not be presented. But Il sterner ma
ture than that of willy George Crogh-
an, gave character to the scenes en-
acted during the period of which we
are speaking. Captain Jack, the ''Wild
Hunter of the Juniata," ," resided in the
neighbOrhood Of Aughwick, from 100
to 1855, but subsequently, in company
with several congenial spirits, built
cabin near beautiful spring on the
banks Of the Juniata, whittier he mov-
ed his family, employing his time in
/ fishing and hunting. He was a huge,
athletic man, of dark complexion, with
an eye like that of the eagle. 1t is re-
lated, that he would frequently visit
! the banks of the Raystown branch,
whilst on his fishing excursions, and it
was on his return from one of these,
/ that he found his wife and children
murdered and his cabin laid in ruins,
| by the Indians This sudden and dread
| full loss almost crazed him, and he i'm
mediately disappeared, no traces Of his
whereabouts being discovered for l.
months thereafter. But one night an
| Irishman named Moore, residing in
| Aughwick, was startled from his sslum-
| bers by the crack of q rifle, 1t was at